Katniss' Choice
by Trevor the Enchanter
Summary: "I warned you that actions have consequences Miss Everdeen; perhaps now you will be more willing to listen." Snow told me with his smug grin. Prim and Peeta have been the chosen Tributes for the 76th Hunger Games and now she must make the most difficult decision of her life.
1. District 12

I look longingly at the surrounding words, remembering the days where I could go hunting. After my father died in the mining accident and my mother retreated into herself, it was the only way I could survive. And after I won the 74th Hunger Games, it was a place to find solace.

"It's not your fault, Catnip." Gale said by my side. He had been my best friend for years and the only one I ever trusted. The past two years had changed him. Ever since he went into the mines, I saw him much less often and even on the occasions where we met, he was too exhausted to hunt. "You're not to blame for this."

He was doing his best to reassure me, I know that, but I still couldn't help but feel guilty. Gone was the single layer of wire which almost never had electricity. The Peacekeepers wanted the food I brought back as much as everyone else. After the rebellion, though, they had cracked down massively. There was now a steel frame over a foot thick surrounding District 12, Peacekeepers stationed everywhere. These were not the ones I had gotten to know; they were different and willing to shoot at the slightest provocation. Several members of District 12 had already been shot over the past few months.

"I just... I miss being out there, you know?" Katniss admitted. There were times where I wish that I had taken up Gale's suggestion to go into the woods together, just the two of us. If it wasn't for my mother and Prim, I would have done so. But I could never leave Prim. She means everything to me. I went into the Hunger Games to save her life and if I had to, I would do so again.

"Me too, Catnip, me too." Gale sighed. "Come on, let's go before the Peacekeepers decide that we're trying to make a run for it." We were a couple hundred of feet away, but I decided that Gale was correct and turned in the opposite direction.

_I wish I could get out, though. _I thought. It was Reaping Day for the 76th Hunger Games and I was going to have to be there as two unfortunate people were chosen to die. I looked over at Gale, grateful that I was no longer in any danger of losing my friend. I sometimes wondered, though: was he more than that? Did I think of him that way?

When our uprising was going on, I worried constantly for Gale. He was on the front lines, fighting against the Peacekeepers. Frankly, I was astonished that Gale had not been caught. The Capitol executed every participant that they could possibly find. When the remaining members of Twelve were dragged to the square to see them executed, I was terrified that I would see Gale's face in the noose as they let him strangle to death.

However, Gale had been overlooked and when I learned that news, I was so relieved that I had kissed him. We had not talked about it since, but I know that it meant something to him, and as much as I did not wish to admit, it meant something to me too. Neither of us have done it since, and the feeling of a man's lips on mine was strange, unlike any sensation I had ever felt before.

And I... part of me wants him to do it again. I don't know how to ask, however. I've always stayed away from any kind of relationship, and once I won the Hunger Games, all thought of them disappeared. Victor's children often ended up in the Games themselves, and I will never allow a child of mine to be put through what I have over the last two years.

"The place certainly looks different now." Gale remarked. He wasn't saying it in words, but he was worried about his little brother Rory. He was thirteen, and eligible for the Games. Rory only had two slips, but as I found out from Prim, only one is enough.

The Seam looked even more destitute than I remember. Many of the buildings had scars from the fighting the previous year and the people are hungrier than ever. I had done what I could for him, and had saved many from starvation, but my efforts alone were not enough to help them. I never realized before how much hunting in the woods kept the Seam alive and I wish that it had never been pointed out to me.

As I headed towards my house, I saw Mr. and Mrs. Forrest. Both glared at me with accusing eyes as I passed by, Mr. Forrest withered fist shaking at me. During the Third Quarter Quell, it was decreed that the Tributes from each District had been from the same family and both their children was chosen. I did everything I could for them, worked tirelessly to get Sponsors. For a while, I thought I could bring one of them home; both had made it to the final Eight. That is, until the District 4 girl killed them both and went on to win the Games.

"It's not your fault, it's not your fault." I heard Gale repeating to me, holding my hand. I wanted to pull away, but surprisingly, I let him. It was the first time he had ever done so.

"I know, but it's still hard." I told him. They depended on me and I let them down. When I learned of their death, I drank until I passed out. I regret it even now, especially since I made an excellent impression of Haymitch. Although I have not joined him, I can understand why he drinks. I lost two Tributes; he has lost 49.

"I'll see you after the Reaping, ok?" Gale promised, hugging me. I have never been an affectionate person, save to Prim, but I didn't pull away, even hugging him back. His eyes went up in surprise.

"See you later," I waved, letting him go, walking into my old house. It was crumbling and falling apart, unlike the Victor's Village, but this place felt much more like home. It had memories that I held onto with a death grip; it was sometimes the only thing that kept me going.

"Hello, Katniss." My mother greeted me. She had made an effort to know me ever since I was reaped. She no longer stared off into space all the time, attempting to take care of me and Prim. I knew she was trying to make up for the mistakes of the past. I tried to forgive her, I really did, but I have never been a forgiving person.

"Where's Prim?" I asked, getting right down to business.

"She's in your room," My mother responded, looking downcast at my dismissal. "It's Reaping Day and she's worried about her friends getting picked." As the sister of a Victor, she is no longer in the running for a Tribute. There are few things in life I am thankful for, but that is one of them.

I head into my room, remembering all the nights I spent here. Sometimes I was dead tired from a hunting trip and was unable to function at school the next day. Sometimes I just sat there with Prim and talked about everything, from the most serious subject to the most trivial.

Neither my mother or Prim had obviously done anything to my room. If I hadn't known better, I would say it was like I had never left it. "Hello, Prim." I greeted, catching her attention.

"Hi, Katniss." Prim said shyly. "Are you going to be up on the stage?"

"All Victors have to; you know that." I explained to her. We had to leave in a very short period of time, but Prim had not yet gotten ready for the Reaping. "Are you ready?"

"Almost," Prim replied. "I'm still nervous, though."

"I know, I know." I replied, hugging her. Every boy and girl her age shared the same fear. Learning that you were no longer eligible for the Reaping was often a cause of celebration in District 12. I was afraid from the moment I turned twelve until now. Even though she had to go, Prim was no longer eligible.

_Not that I'll ever tell her the price I had to pay to make sure of that. _I thought. It wasn't just the nightmares that still plagued me. I had to cooperate with Snow and do everything he asked me to do. He had made it clear that if I did not cooperate, the consequences would be quite severe.

Prim put on her best dress, only to find that she could barely fit inside it. She had grown a lot over the past two years and was now close to my height. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if she grew up taller than I ever would be. Prim ate better than ever before and she had even managed to gain some weight as well. While I know the Capitol frowned on such an appearance, in the Districts, it was a sign of wealth.

Buttercup headed into Prim's room and sat right next to her, waiting for Prim's attention. I carefully reached out, only to hear her hiss. Evidently, she has never forgiven me for suggesting that she be drowned when she was first found. Prim reached out soon afterward, making Buttercup purr. From the smell of her, she had been in the garbage cans, searching for food.

"It's time to go, Prim." I informed her, checking my watch that I had bought soon after I returned to District 12.

"Ok, then." Prim replied, still nervous. I wanted to say something, but what was there to say? We all knew that there was little we could do about the Reaping. Our miniature Rebellion last year was proof enough of that, even if Gale still refused to see it that way.

"Good luck, you two." My mother declared, trying to hide her worry. I had to bite my tongue to keep from replying. She didn't worry when I was starving to death, being forced to search through garbage cans to keep Prim and I alive! What right does she have to pretend to care now? Did I mention I have difficulty forgiving people?

Once we arrived at the square, I went in the opposite direction. Before the camera began to roll, I was going to have to spend a few hellish minutes with my Prep Team. It wouldn't do for a Victor to look like the rest of District 12.

"You're late, dearie!" Effie Trinket exclaimed, still wearing that ridiculous wig that is at the height of Capitol fashion. "I thought you weren't going to make it!" As much as I hated to admit it, I found out she wasn't all bad, despite being a Capitol citizen. She had actually taken a liking to me, even if she still complained about my manners, which, I will admit, was sometimes done just as a way to irritate her.

"I'm sorry, I was meeting with my mother and Prim." I explained.

"Well, we've gotten most of the work done without your presence." Cinna informed me. "What do you think of this?" He held up a red dress, similar to my Games, except that there were several lines of small flames circling it.

"It's wonderful!" I exclaimed. It was the most gorgeous dress I had ever seen. Perhaps it was slightly hypocritical to care about appearances at the moment, though. I had never seen Haymitch give even the slightest regard for it.

"Well, try it on and see if it fits." Cinna advised. I headed into the other room and rapidly changed my clothes, knowing that what the rest of my Prep Team did would be unpleasant.

As it turned out, though, it wasn't an unpleasant as I thought. None of them were talking about the Games just yet, much to my surprise. Octivia complained that my nails looked filthy, muttering about how this District was a nightmare for dirt and soot. Venia and Flavius had the courtesy to keep their mouths shut about it, even though it was obvious from their faces that they felt the same way.

Once they were complete with their work, I walked onto the stage, still not quite accustomed to the use of high heels. Haymitch was of course already there in the seat next to me, drinking his alcohol, not caring that the cameras were already rolling. He gave me a brief nod in greeting and went back to his drink.

The square looked very different. It was always packed with Peacekeepers, but this time, they were carrying far deadlier weapons than clubs. There were several on the roofs above the square with machine guns pointed at the crowd to discourage any provocative demonstrations. The Position closest to me was packed with a group that looked like they'd like nothing more than to wipe out everyone in the square.

Most of the group kept their heads down, not wanting to stare the possibility of their own death in the face. I saw Gale near the front of the crowd, staring back at them defiantly. I want to scream at him, demand he turn away, lest they find out he was one of the rebels they missed. Even if I did, though, he wouldn't listen; Gale is every bit as stubborn as I am.

Each group of children is huddled in fear, as they are every year. Most of the Seam have extra slips due to tesserae; the older ones especially are frightened. I look them over carefully; maybe one in eight would actually have a chance of winning the Games.

The Mayor took the podium, his wife and daughter sitting to his left. Madge gave me a brief wave, which I returned. It would be a stretch to call us friends, but we got along with one another, which was more than I could say for most girls my age. I sometimes envied her comfortable position, one she obtained without the nightmares. I'm tempted to ask Haymitch for a drink, but refrain. I didn't want Prim to see.

He began reading the same story he did every year. I didn't bother to listen; I all but had it memorized by now. About the creation of Panem, the Dark Days, the destruction of District 13, the establishment of the Hunger Games, and on and on. I rolled my eyes at his blathering, not caring that the cameras were broadcasting every move I made.

Then the number of Victors were mentioned. District 12 has only had three, and only two were living: me and Haymitch, who was currently tossing around his empty bottle, a stare of pure contempt. Other Districts have much longer lists; District 2 has had 20 Victors, more than anyone else.

Once he was finished, Effie moved up to the podium, trying to hide her unhappiness. Perhaps she's learned that Tributes from districts are actually human beings, not playthings for the Capitol's amusement. "Happy Hunger Games!" Effie proclaimed, plastering a fake smile on her face. "And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

"Gentlemen first!" She exclaimed about the drawing, reaching into the ball and pulling out a slip of paper. I waited anxiously to see who I would have to Mentor, hoping I would be able to bring someone home, unlike the previous year. "Peeta Mellark!" I gasped in horror when I heard that. The boy with the bread; how can it get worse?! Children from the Town are rarely chosen, so this was the last thing I expected. I have never been able to get him out of my mind ever since he saved my life and now I was going to have to try to save his. He had a chance of winning; perhaps it can be done.

"Are there any volunteers?" Effie asked the crowd. There weren't; there almost never is. I was the only volunteer in my lifetime and perhaps ever in the history of District 12. His father had broken down in tears, as had his brothers, although his mother seemed unmoved. Peeta walked up onto the stage, saying nothing, doing his best to look brave.

Throughout all those years, I've never forgotten what Peeta did for me, and I've never lost the feeling that I owe him for saving the life of myself and even more importantly, Prim. He looked directly at me as he walked onto the stage with an emotion I was unable to decipher. Why did he have to get chosen, out of everyone?

I was not the only one with a look of dismay. Peeta was quite well-liked in District 12; even most of the Seam did not have an unkind word to say about him, which was almost unheard of.

I forced my thoughts away from that; there was still one more Tribute to be chosen."Okay, now for the female Tribute." She stated, most of her perkiness now gone. I waited with dread to see which girl was going to die this year. "Primrose Everdeen!"

The last thing I was aware of was my head smashing against the wood.


	2. The Train

I'd like to thank everyone who read my story. I've gotten 123 views just on the first chapter.

Well, you know the drill. The Hunger Games do not belong to me, at the risk of being attacked by legions of lawyers. In any case, please review!

My eyes opened, turning my head from side to side. "Are you all right, Katniss?" Haymitch asked me. If he was using my real name, that meant that he was quite concerned.

"How long have I been out?" I wondered.

"About thirty seconds," Haymitch answered. "Can you stand?"

"Yeah, I think so." I responded. "I had a strange dream. I dreamt that both my sister and Peeta were Tributes for the Hunger Games."

"Afraid that wasn't a dream, sweetheart." Haymitch shook his head, pulling me to my feet. "Your sister's going in the Games." He looked genuinely regretful, which in a way, makes this worse.

"I need to see her!" I insisted. "Is there any way I can volunteer?" As terrified as the prospect of going into the Games a second time might be, I would much rather go through it myself than seeing Prim suffer. It was why I volunteered in the first place, and she got picked anyway!"

"I'm afraid not, sweetheart." Haymitch shook his head. "You can't see them until we get onto the train." He led me towards my room. I knew what the routine was now. It was going to be my job to talk to the parents and try to reassure them that their child was coming home. The first time I did it, I nearly fell apart in the process. Haymitch had to finish the conversation because I was in no shape to do it myself.

The room I was escorted into looked eerily like the one I was put in before the Games. For all I know, it was the very same room; they certainly looked alike to me. "Just stay strong, sweetheart." Haymitch tried to comfort me. "You'll be able to get Prim home."

"Why did this happen?" I demanded, close to tears. "Prim's the best person I know; why does she have to go through this?! Why was she picked as a Tribute?"

"Do you want an honest answer to that question?" Haymitch asked. When I nodded, he pulled out some kind of device that I didn't recognize and knew that he wouldn't tell me what he was. He looked it over carefully, set it on the windowsill, and began to speak. "Katniss, I don't think this was an accident. I believe that this was arranged by Snow."

"Why would Snow want to kill her?" I wondered. I hadn't done anything to disobey him. To be perfectly honest, I considered it, once I learned there was an effort to overthrow the Capitol, but his warning about harm coming to the people I loved was enough for me to abandon that idea. "I haven't done anything!"

"There was a rebellion here almost as soon as you returned." Haymitch explained to me. "I know you've got nothing to do with it, but that's not going to be the way that he sees it. We fought, got crushed, and he wants someone to blame. Unfortunately, that someone is going to be you."

"All I was trying to do is stay alive!" I protested. I hid in the darkest corner, holding onto my sister, trying to stay out of the fighting. It was an unpleasant time, particularly since we had little food to eat. I wanted to assist the people who were starving, which had gotten worse because of the fighting, only to be told that such an act would be punishable by death. The Peacekeeper had pointed a gun at Prim's hand, and I had no choice but to give in.

"This is how it works; you know that." Haymitch warned. "So... tell me about Peeta. I saw that you were looking at him in horror when he was picked."

"I looked at everyone that way." I replied, but I was lying. Haymitch saw right through it as well.

"Not the way you looked at him," Haymitch grinned. "Is there something going on between you two?"

"Oh, god, no!" I protested angrily.

"But you do know him," Haymitch pressed.

"Yes, we've talked." I evaded. I refused to tell him the story about the bread, or any of the other wonderful things that Peeta's done for me. That was my private business and none of Haymitch's.

"If you don't want to tell me, fine." Haymitch raised his hands in surrender. "However, out of the two of them, he's got the best chance of getting out of there. Your sister isn't a fighter and no matter how angry you get with me, you can't deny that.

I didn't even know his name until Haymitch pointed it out to me. Feeling a little guilty, I replied: "But I'm going to everything I can for all of them." That was true, but no matter what, I was going to get Prim out of there. It was going to take a lot of hard work, a lot of charming, and every trick Haymitch had taught me about Mentoring, but it could be done. I refused to believe otherwise.

Before I could gather my thought, my mother stormed in here, horrified at the Reaping. "You've got to bring her home!" She begged. "I can't lose my youngest child!" She broke down in tears before she could say anything more.

"I'll bring her back home, I promise you." I tried to reassure her. I mentally went through every possible method I could use to do so. Prim didn't know how to hunt the way I did, which was going to be a disadvantage. One thing she did know how to use was a knife, from all the patients that she had assisted my mother with.

"I thought I was going to lose you too!" My mother sobbed. "I don't have a lot of time; just remember I love you both and that I'll be waiting for both of you to come home." I gave her a brief hug before she left, but my mother was inconsolable. It was every parent's worst nightmare to have one of their children sent into the Hunger Games and now she's going through it a second time. I might hold onto some of my anger towards her, but it doesn't decrease my sympathy, especially since I'm as terrified as she is. Worse, I'm going to be responsible for her safety.

"She doesn't have Haymitch anymore." I informed her. It was true; I put a lot more effort into saving my Tributes last year than he did. However, it also meant that I was far more devastated when both of them were finally killed. "I've learned plenty of ways for her to win Sponsors. Nobody thought I could win, either, but here I am."

That only made my mother cry more; I admit, I've never been good at comforting other people. The only real friend I have is Gale and he's the type that keeps most of his pain and fear to himself. I scrambled my brain trying to think of the right words. My mother spoke up before I did: "I know; I can go around collecting money for a contribution!" She exclaimed. "I can't believe I didn't think of it before; it's just like how I helped you!"

That was a considerable shock to me. I had expected her to stare off into space in spite of my demand before I left. Was it really two years ago? Sometimes it seemed no more than two months. "You did that for me?" I asked with surprise.

"Of course I did, sweetie." My mother gave me a small smile. "I wasn't just going to sit in my home doing nothing!" Try as I might to hide it, I'm actually a little touched.

"You help her, and I'll do the same." I told her. It was far from unheard of for the Districts to contribute money for their Tributes, but that was rarely an option for us. Not only were we the poorest District, we also had by far the smallest population. A District of 8,000 people, likely less than that by now, would be able to give little support.

_Better me than Haymitch. _I thought. "I want to see Prim." I demanded of the Peacekeeper standing outside my doorway.

"As a Mentor, you're not allowed to see the Tributes until the train has left District 12." She explained, bracing herself for my attack. As tempting as the thought might be, I keep my hand still. I know how to survive in the wilderness, but I've never been skilled at hand-to-hand combat, while she undoubtedly was.

In an attempt to rein in my anger, I ask: "One of those Tributes is my sister. Only family members and friends are allowed to visit; I fall into that group." I bit my lip to keep from screaming at her.

"I'm afraid I can't; rules are rules." The Peacekeeper sounded genuinely regretful. In a way, that just made it worse; I didn't like to think of them as human in their white uniforms, all looking alike to us. "The train will be leaving soon; it's not going to be a long wait."

I paced around the room, back and forth, wanting nothing more than to see Prim. "You do realize that we've got three other Tributes to help as well?" Haymitch reminded me. I glared furiously at him, but he was correct. Nevertheless, I was focusing everything I had on Prim.

Finally, they allowed me to leave for the train. Me and Haymitch climbed into the rear car that would take us to the train station. I wondered if the others were already there and waiting for us. What was Prim doing? Was she going through strategies? Was she focusing? Or had she simply given up before the Games had even begun? It was not uncommon for our Tributes; you could see it on their faces that they had given up and had resigned themselves.

_No, that's not going to be Prim. _I promised. _She's getting out of there and she's going to win! _Once the car arrived at its destination, I all but ran up the stairs towards the train, looking out the windows to see if they had arrived.

"Are they here?" I screamed at Haymitch.

"They'll be here in a couple of minutes, sweetheart." Haymitch promised. "Remember, I have far more experience than you." Ignoring him, I headed to their room, ready to answer every single question they asked. Yes, I was working most on Prim, but the others deserved a chance as well.

"It's good to see you punctual, Katniss!" Effie exclaimed towards me. "Haymitch here could take a few lessons from you." He gave her a vulgar hand gesture in response and sat down next to me.

Prim arrived just as the first course of food was being served. I ate some of it, knowing that I was going to need my strength, even if I didn't feel hungry. Peeta took his knife and fork and ate quickly, but with more manners than anyone in the Seam ever would.

To my right, Effie was standing there with a look of horror. My response to it was equal parts amusement and fury. It was funny to see her being rattled, but on the other hand, those two likely have never had a full belly in their lives. How dare she judge them on manners?

However, Prim wasn't eating anything. In fact, she was completely silent, not saying a word. She wasn't real talkative in any case, but she refused to look at anyone, even me. I leaned over towards her, trying to get her to speak, but she said nothing. She turned away, hiding her tears. This was what I feared the most. I hoped that she would muster up the will to survive, because if I lost my sister as well, I don't know what I'd do.

Peeta was the first to speak up. "So... how do we win this thing?" He asked.

It's funny; I went over plans in my head again and again, but now that the question is actually being asked, I can't bring myself to say a word. Haymitch interrupted the silence with his usual cheer. "Stay alive; best advice I can give you." He laughed, gulping down his drink.

"Winning Sponsors is an important part of it," I cut in before any of them became frightened. "You have to make yourself appear likeable. Remember, to the Capitol, this is an enormous game, a television show. Make yourself appear attractive, be friendly; pretend to treat this the way they do." I looked over at Prim, hoping to get some kind of response. She was still staring off into space with a look that froze my heart with ice.

"How do we do that?" Peeta asked me. I know for a fact that charming and likeable won't be any problem for him. On any given day at school, he had at least two girls flirting with him, often more. Strangely enough, though, I had never seen him actually date any of them. At times I wondered if he considered Seam people beneath him, but no. I don't know him to well, but that much I can be confident about.

"Be yourself," I responded, hating how horribly cliché' the line was. "We'll have plenty of time to practice interviews before you're on television." At those words, everyone but Peeta looked terrified. "I'll get you ready for it, don't worry about that." I was most of all directing those words to Prim.

"How do we survive in the Arena?" Peeta pressed. "Likeable won't help us at all if we don't have any skills."

"Let's just focus on one thing at a time." I interjected. "We've got two weeks to prepare you two."

"Shut the hell up," I hissed icily at him, fingering a blade in my hand. My intimidation worked because he shrunk back into his seat without another word. My anger beginning to recede, I continued: "For one thing, I need to know who your competition is going to be before I can come up with concrete strategies. One more thing: try to eat whatever you can. It'll come in handy later."

"No argument here," Tyler responded, gulping down more food than I would have expected he could eat from his small frame. All of them were leaning in, listening to my every word, ignoring Haymitch completely. I can't help myself; I have to do everything I can. I owe it to them, no matter what it costs me emotionally.

"Prim, do you have anything to say?" I asked her, trying to get her attention. She gave me a brief shake of the head before looking away from me.

Once they had eaten, I went back into the Mentor's cart. By now, the Reaping had to be finished and they would be replaying them for the Capitol audience. I turned on the television, waiting anxiously for the returns.

District 1 comes as no surprise to me. There is a brief scuffle among all the volunteers about who gets the "honor" of being a Tribute. One of the boys from One looks to be the most dangerous of the Career Pack. He's six and a half feet tall and covered in muscle, probably even larger than Cato ever was. He raises his fists into the air and roars in triumph; he looks to be the one to beat this year.

I go right past District 2; they look to be the usual Careers, although not quite as formidable as that boy was. District 3 took me by surprise. There was a twelve year old boy who was called to the stage, only to have his older brother take his place in the Games. He wasn't that large, not much bigger than me, but seeing a volunteer had surprised me.

Nor was he the last one. There was another volunteer from District 5, this time a girl who reminded me of an older Foxface, volunteering for her sister the same way I had. In District 7, another girl tried to volunteer, only to be informed that she was too old for the Reaping. Instead one of the boys did so and I could only assume that he was her brother. He didn't look like much, somewhat short for his age, and looked considerably overweight as well. Yet I had the feeling that I should not underestimate him.

There was a volunteer from 8, two volunteers from 10, and one from 11. I don't think we've ever seen anything like this from the outlying districts, not in the entire history of the Hunger Games.

Once they arrived at District 12, all the discussion was whether Prim would be able to follow in my footsteps and win. I barely cared that I fainted on camera. The idea that she was being treated this way enraged me, making me slam my fist into the metal of the train. I gasped in pain, gently feeling my hand to see if anything was broken. It was painful, but... but nothing appeared permanently damaged.

Now knowing what I was up against, I headed back into the other cart, where I heard Haymitch saying: "I don't care how unpleasant it is. You go along with him. You depend on them for catching the audience's attention, so do what they say. Cinna knows what he's doing!" I was glad that Haymitch had decided to put in some effort after all, even though I knew it was only for my sake.

"What are they going to do to us?" Peeta asked. I observed that he had moved close to Prim and gave her hand a squeeze.

"You'll find out soon enough." Haymitch shrugged, not bothering to give any details. We were heading through District 2, meaning that it wasn't going to be long until we were there. I must have watched the replays for longer than I originally believed.

"It's not going to be fun," I warn them. "But Haymitch is right. You need to cooperate with them. Remember what I said about the importance of obtaining Sponsors?" All of them nodded. "Good; we'll be there in a few minutes."

"Any other advice for us?" Peeta wondered, his eyes wide.

"Yes: smile to the audience, wave at them." I ordered. "If you feel bold enough, blow some kisses. They have to remember you; I can't stress that enough. Prim, did you hear me?" She refused to respond. I leaned over and whispered to Haymitch: "Has she said a word?"

"Not a thing, Katniss." Haymitch replied regretfully. If he was calling me by name, it had to be serious.

_She has given up..._ I thought. Even though I was in front of the others, I wanted to demand of her to snap out of it. As it was, I pulled her closer to me, trying to get her to show some life.

"Can I talk to you privately, Katniss?" Peeta asked me. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak, my mind a dark cloud.

"What do you want?" I finally manage to gasp out. I hate that I've never been able to get the boy with the bread out of my mind. I owe him a debt that I can't pay because I'm sacrificing him and the others for Prim.

"I just wanted to let you know... I'm going to make sure Prim gets out of there." Peeta declared. "You'll see her again, Katniss; I'll make sure of it."

"But... what about you?" I asked in confusion. Did this ever happen? Tributes sacrificing themselves so another could win? I simply couldn't say anything; my emotions were too mixed. I was glad that Prim would now have a better chance of surviving; I'd never be able to live without her.

But why was Peeta doing this? I simply couldn't understand why. Surely he knew that meant he would die in the Games!

"Don't worry about me; Prim needs you." Peeta insisted.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked again. As much as I hated the thought that came up, it was possible that he was doing this to win over my trust, take Prim under his wing and kill her once it started, leaving him that much closer towards Victory.

_If he even thinks about it, I'll kill him myself. _I promised.

"Because you love her, don't you?" Peeta looked at me intently. There was something else on the tip of his tongue, but he hurriedly closed his mouth before he told me what it was. "That's all the reason I need."

There was much I wanted to say, wanted to ask. In lieu of anything else, I hugged him tightly, crushing his ribs under my grip. "Thank you, Peeta, thank you!" I exclaimed in his ear.

"You're welcome, Katniss." Peeta gave me a small smile. "See? She's got at least one ally to rely on. I'll stay with her."

"It's certainly helpful and I greatly appreciate it." I replied.

Peeta waited a while before replying and let go of me. He opened his mouth twice before any words came out of it. "Prim has asked me for something as well."

"What is that?"

"She wants me to kill her to make her death quick and painless." Peeta finally ground out. "She's terrified that the Careers will torture her and she wants me to make sure that doesn't happen!"

I nearly fainted again. I suspected that Prim was despairing, but to go so far as to ask Peeta to kill her?! "Don't you dare!" I screamed at him. "If you so much as touch her, I'll kill you, you understand?" I punched him in the chest, Peeta making no move to defend himself.

"I'm not a monster, Katniss." Peeta shook his head. "The reason I'm saving her is..."

"Are you two about done in there?" Haymitch interrupted, looking annoyed. "I'm surrounded by your Tributes and here you are, chatting him up! Can you come back before I got insane?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming." I sighed. I turned to Peeta and said: "Remember: look friendly."

The train stopped at the Capitol where a crowd of thousands gathered to cheer. Peeta was waving and bowing to the audience, many of them were holding pictures of their favorite Tributes. Many of the posters were of me, with the words: "Girl on Fire" written in dramatic colors.

I know he was trying to help, but I wish Peeta hadn't said anything. What was he trying to say to me before Haymitch interrupted us? For the life of me, I had no idea and I wish I knew.

In the long run, I suppose it doesn't matter. As I look at the Capitol, there's only one thing on my mind: making sure Prim survives the 76th Hunger Games.


	3. Promises

Before we left the train, I gave them all a final piece of advice. It was a risk, I know, since I had never seen it in the Games, but I decided to give it a try anyway. "During the Parade, try to appear as a team." I advised. "You'll appear stronger that way."

"And during training, you will stay together as well." Haymitch added.

"We'll meet up with you two after the Tribute Parade," I informed them. "Don't worry, Cinna's very good at what he does." And a good thing too. To even begin, you have to be remembered, and coal miner outfits weren't going to cut it.

"Yes, I remember." Peeta smiled at me. "I watched you during your Parade. For a couple of seconds there, I thought you were really on fire!" He gave a small chuckle.

"And again, do the same thing on the parade that Peeta did on the train." I continued. "Don't just ignore the crowd; show them you're paying attention to it. Every last one of them will eat it up." I looked at Prim, wanting her to understand, wanting to see some life. She still refused to say a word, though.

As they headed to the stylists, me and Haymitch headed towards the Mentor's Room where we would be staying until the parade was over. I hoped I remembered my way there; it was a long trip down corridors, which all looked alike to my eyes. Even after two years, I still hadn't fully gotten the hang of the Capitol.

"You're going the wrong way, sweetheart." Haymitch told me, pointing in the opposite direction that I was currently heading.

I was so nervous about the parade that I barely noticed anyone else as I walked into the room. The Mentor's Room was the same as its always been, with twelve stations for each of the twelve district's Victors. Haymitch, of course, headed directly to the bar to lose himself in alcohol. Part of me wants to join him, but I know that Prim is depending on me, even if she is giving up.

I was so distracted that I ended up running into one of the Avoxes that were serving food. It was Lavinia, the girl that had attempted to flee from the Capitol. "I'm sorry I bumped into you," I apologized. I couldn't help but feel guilty, even if she did not blame me for her predicament. There are times I think I should have helped her, even with the possibility that I would have been turned into an Avox as well.

She looked into my eyes briefly, nodded, and continued to make her rounds. None of the other Mentors had noticed our nonverbal exchange.

Many of them had not yet shown up. The sibling pair from District 1 had, Cashmere and Gloss. They were looking excitedly at the computer screen that showed them potential sponsors. They were a Career District, so they would have no lack of them. They got all the supplies at the Cornucopia and received the most sponsors; it really wasn't fair. It's amazing that any other District has won at all with those advantages.

The morphlings from District 6 were there as well, but I didn't pay any attention to them. They were often too drugged out to notice me, in any case. Even though they were obstacles, I sympathized with District six's Tributes. At least Haymitch had sobered up some when it became apparent I was a fighter. Their Tributes don't have any chance at all, the way they are.

On the other side on the room were District 11's Mentors, Seeder and Chaff. I walked up to them to say hello. "Good to see you here, Katniss." Chaff waved at me. My eyes wandered towards his missing hand, even though I knew how impolite that was. "When did you arrive here?"

"Just a couple of minutes ago." I told them.

"I am... sorry to hear about your sister." He managed to speak. "No one should be in that kind of position."

"Have to do the best I can," I attempted to shrug. We were friendly, but not close, and I didn't feel like blurting out everything I was feeling to someone who was mostly a stranger to me. "I can get her home."

"Of course you can, sweetie." Seeder smiled at me. She was the Victor of the 26th Hunger Games, the first time that District 11 had ever won. "If there's anything I can do to help you, let me know." The first time I had seen her, she had thanked me for treating Rue with such respect after she had been killed. I still thought about her at times, the twelve year old that still reminded me so much of Prim.

Attempting to change the subject, I asked: "What do you think of your Tributes this year?"

"They'll be lucky if they can survive the first day." Chaff informed me bluntly. How could he be so cold? Those were children's lives he was talking about and he wasn't even going to try to help them. "I wish we had a better chance, but this isn't our year." I choked down my anger, remembering that he had been a Mentor for thirty-one years and never once brought a Tribute home.

"It's a terrible shame." Seeder shook her head. "I'll do everything I can to help them, though, of course." That was no idle boast. I had observed that she was one of the few Mentors that did not have a problem functioning normally. There were the morphlings, Chaff, Haymitch, and others were alcoholics, but somehow, she managed to function in spite of everything. It was a trait about her that I envied.

"Good to know they can count on you," I informed her. I had gotten to know her better than Chaff. Both of us had an attachment to Rue and she had forgiven me for killing Thresh. Not that it was a great accomplishment. By the time it was down to the two of us, he would have died even if I had not shot an arrow into his throat.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a drinking contest to win." Chaff grinned. "If he thinks he can catch me off-guard a second time..." He went off to join Haymitch at the bar.

Before I knew it, someone grabbed me around the waist. "Well, well, if it isn't the sexiest Mentor in the Capitol..." That could only be one person.

"Hello to you too, Finnick." I smiled at him, genuinely this time. Except for Haymitch, he was the one I got along best with. It's surprising, considering he comes from a Career District, even if Four aren't at the same level as One and Two. Their number of volunteers varies from year to year. Finnick was the youngest ever winner of the Hunger Games. "Nice to see you again."

"A pleasure, as always." Finnick gave a small bow and turned to Seeder. "I apologize, Ma'am. I did not mean to imply that your beauty was in any way diminished."

"No apology necessary, Finnick." Seeder laughed, letting him kiss his hand. I never understood his behavior. Even though I realize now that there's more to him that a womanizer, it still troubles me deeply.

"Would you mind terribly if I managed this beautiful lady for a few minutes?" Finnick bowed. She waved us off and he moved me into a corner, making sure we were alone. When he spoke again, his playful attitude was completely gone. "You're in trouble, Katniss."

"What is it this time?" I ask him. How could it be worse? My sister is in the Hunger Games with twenty-three other Tributes; how could it be worse than that? Of course, being as I am in the Capitol, it seems a rather foolish question.

"I've heard from one of my... contacts that Snow's got some big plans for you." Finnick sighed and I see his face cringe in regret. "I really, really don't want to tell you this, but it's better you hear it from me than from Snow."

"What is it?" I asked, beginning to get impatient.

"You might be a Victor, but it looks like you still don't fully realize what that means for you." Finnick continued and I could tell that he was struggling with himself about whether or not to blurt whatever he wanted to say out. "Frankly, I'm amazed you don't already know. Snow usually doesn't wait this long for others, particularly one as popular as you."

"Just spit it out!" I snap at him.

Finnick froze for almost a minute before he finally talked again. "Snow... intends to sell your virginity to the highest bidder."

The prospect made me freeze in pure horror. The only thing I've ever done is kiss, and that was with Gale, and I'm still trying to sort out my feelings over that on top of seeing Prim fight to the death. Now Snow's going to sell me to some disgusting Capitol muttation?! "I won't do it, I refuse!" I screamed, catching the attention of the other Mentors, who had all arrived by this point in time.

"Yes, you will." Finnick gave me a sad smile. "He'll kill your loved ones if you don't and it's amazing what you'll be willing to endure for the people you love most."

That sounded like more than just fancy sounds. Finnick sounded like this was from... "Did this happen to you as well?" I asked.

"It still is, I'm afraid." Finnick warned him. "When I was first told, I told him no, just as you did. A week later, my father was found with a bullet to the head in a lake. Nobody says who did it, but I know. I agreed for the people I still love, and you will too."

"Is there... is there any way to get out of this?" I asked desperately. My body was shuddering and only the thought of Prim kept me from fainting a second time.

"If there is, I haven't found one." Finnick told me. "I can't lie to you, it's going to be extremely difficult; just think about Prim and your mother... and everyone else." He gave me one last regretful look and walked off, leaving me to my thoughts.

I didn't see any way around it, either. I was so frightened, I could barely think. Letting strangers have their way with me because Snow wants to make money off of me? If I had known all of this when I first volunteered, I might have just let the Career Tributes kill me. Being a Victor is, in many ways, more difficult than the Games themselves.

We had forty minutes before the parade started and outside, most of the crowd had already gathered. I had confidence that Cinna knew how to grab the crowd's attention, so I wasn't too worried about that part. It was what came afterwards, and knowing what was soon in store for me.

_Think about that later; Prim needs you! _I told myself. It calmed me down a little, but still stayed in the back of my mind. The clock clicked down to thirty-eight minutes; I both wanted to get this over with and dreaded the moment. I had only a week to get my two Tributes ready for battle. I wish the ones Reaped were a pair I didn't know. It would still be difficult for me, yes, but watching my sister and Peeta go in was almost more than I could endure.

I looked behind me to see the District Two Mentors. Enobaria was there as always, her sharp teeth glinting in the light. However, I had never met her companion before. He was the oldest man that I had ever seen. He was covered in wrinkles, hunched over, what remained of his hair completely white. Even though he was old, he had a strength about him that couldn't be ignored.

And he was headed right towards me. "Hello, Miss Everdeen." He greeted me. "So glad you could join us at last."

"Nice to meet you too," I said politely, my mind elsewhere. I shook his hand briefly and turned around, wanting to see what kind of potential Sponsors I had.

"I've been wanting to meet you for a long time." He continued. "My name is Nero, for your information."

Even if I wasn't sure about him yet, he was still preferable to District Two's usual Mentor. To put it mildly, Brutus was a nutcase. He had won the 51st Hunger Games and admitted that he dreamed of being able to win another one. I was completely stunned at those words. I have never met any other Victor, even a Career Victor, wish to go through the Hunger Games a second time. And to be honest, the man frightened me. He took a sadistic glee in the Capitol's entertainment.

"Well, you know who I am." I replied. "I'm sorry if I'm ignoring you, but I need to focus on my Tributes right now."

"We've still got thirty-five minutes before the Games begin." Nero replied. "It does make things more difficult, though: the Capitol increasing the number to four Tributes. I remember the difference when I won the Games."

"Which one did you win?" I asked, more to be polite than actually caring. Was he another one who had fond memories of his victory?

"I won the first one they ever set up." Nero declared, a small amount of pride but also sadness as well.

That took me by surprise. I believed him to be in his 70's, but if he won the 1st Hunger Games, that would mean he was at least ninety and since he's from District 2, likely older than that. Nobody lives to be that long in Twelve; the oldest person living there is Rose and she's only eighty-two.

"I'll leave you to it, then, Katniss." Nero declared. "Some of my comrades believe our rivalry to exist outside the Games, but I do not. Good luck to you and good luck to your Tributes. I apologize for having your own sister Reaped in the Games." He departed, giving me some peace.

I looked at the potential Sponsor list and didn't see many names. Nobody had yet donated prematurely, which saddened me, but does not surprise me. There were a list of ten possible Sponsors, and almost all of them intended to support Peeta. Only one was considering Prim.

_I'll have to fix that. _I thought. Strange as it sounded, I wish Haymitch was working with me, rather than having his drinking contest with his friend. I'm not quite an inept as I was the last time, but this is something I'm still inexperienced in.

Before I knew it, the parade began. Districts One and Two appeared as always. It didn't matter if they had the worst costume of the bunch, though; they were guaranteed plenty of Sponsors. If I was a Sponsor, I would probably bet on them myself.

Most of the others did not interest me, although District 5 stuck out for its electrical costume. I paced around the room, waiting for my Tributes to show up. They couldn't be far behind. I mentally begged Prim not to give up, that she can get home alive.

As in the previous two years, my Tributes stood out among the crowd. Cinna has outdone himself once again. Each one of them were dressed in glowing diamond dresses, rings of diamonds wrapped all around them. The crowd was going world, burying their chariot in roses. Peeta was waving to the crowd, blowing kisses and flexing his muscles. When he picked up one of the roses and gave a small blow, the crowd were ecstatic. He was obviously the favorite of District 12.

As for Prim... she wasn't doing anything. She merely stood there stone-faced as I had seen many times before. I wanted to scream at her to wave, bow, find a way to get the audience's attention. She simply stood there, lowering her head. I was nothing short of horrified. Not only would she not be getting Sponsors, she has also sent a message to the other Tributes that she's weak. That might have worked for Johanna, but it won't for Prim, since she's too kind to hurt anyone. The Hunger Games are unpleasant for people like her.

As soon as the parade was over, I ran out of the Mentor's room, not bothering to wait for Haymitch, who was doubtless nearly passed out by now. "You guys did great!" I exclaimed at them, smiling.

"I just did what you told me." Peeta replied humbly. "Get the audience's attention, look cheerful, win them over." He had done better than I ever thought he could.

However, I pushed the others back and headed towards Prim. "Are you all right?" I asked her, trying to snap her out of it. I could already sense eyes on us from the other Tributes. The District 1 boy I noticed at the Reaping gave a wicked grin. "Come on, please say something." Prim simply turned away from me. "Don't do this to me, Prim. Say something!"Prim just walked off without a word.

I didn't want the thought to enter my mind, but the chances of one of them winning the Games... at least Peeta wasn't screaming hateful words at me for what I was doing. Not that I wouldn't deserve it... "Come on, let's get to the room. I need to know everything I can so I know what I'm working with." I already knew what Prim could do, but even though my efforts were towards her, I had to make at least some effort to assist Peeta.

Peeta went inside the elevator first, looking around it with awe, having never been in one before. I didn't understand why he wasn't furious with me. I was sacrificing three people for my sister, others that had no say in it at all. I chose to do so, where they had not. Peeta had given his assent, but once the Games began, I wasn't sure if he could keep it up with death staring him in the face. Hell, I didn't know why he was offering to begin with.

Effie had already arrived by the time we were there. "Your entrance was astounding!" She gushed. "Yet again, District 12 is the talk of the Capitol! Sit down, sit down, dinner's ready!" She watched them, wondering if they were going to have the same lack of manners they did before. "I think we've really got a chance this year!"

"What skills do you have?" I asked each of them. I knew Prim's skill with a knife, even if she refused to ever use it on anything but a patient. She couldn't even skin a squirrel or rabbit.

"I don't really have any," Peeta shrugged. "I can decorate cakes, but I don't think that's going to help much."

"You never know; the Arena might just be a monster cake this year." I responded in an attempt to lighten the mood. "In any case, you have skills. I've seen how much you can lift and you're the best wrestler in our school. You even managed to beat your older brothers."

I turned to Prim and asked: "What are your skills?" Yes, I knew them all, but there was always a slight chance that she was holding something back from me.

"Strength isn't the only thing that you need," I explained after I realized that Prim was continuing the silent treatment. "You need intelligence as well. I'm here because I outsmarted my opponent and Haymitch is here for the same reason. The Careers know how to fight, yes, but they're also enormously arrogant and sometimes stupid. Use that to your advantage.

"And Peeta, your wrestling skills can come in handy as well. Do you wish to be trained separately or together?"

"You can train us together." Peeta declared.

"All right, we'll begin your training tomorrow." I continued. "Now... I want both of you to ignore the weapons. It's tempting, I know, but if you don't know how to use them, you're not going to be able to learn enough in just a week. And if you do, don't show it to the others, do you understand?" Prim nodded, indicating that she was paying attention, giving me a bit of hope that maybe she's developing a fighting instinct after all.

"Should we form an alliance?" Peeta asked.

It takes me a while to answer that question. Alliances certainly help you survive; I wouldn't have gotten as far as I did without Rue or Thresh. However, at some point, all alliances end and if you aren't a Career, you've likely become friends with them. "It's up to you." I eventually told them. "If you think it'll help, go for it."

"So what have I missed?" Haymitch burst in, drunk out of his mind.

"Never mind, just sit... somewhere." I sighed. He collapsed on the couch, passing out. Resisting the urge to hit him, I turned back to them and said: "Is there anything else you two want to know?" I directed this question towards Prim, who suddenly found a strong interest in staring at her fingers.

Hours passed and they went to their rooms, although I highly doubted that they were able to get any sleep. Indeed, I could hear them pace around from the main room, their footsteps echoing through the floor.

Tomorrow, I was going to have to meet with the Sponsors. I looked over at Haymitch, realizing that even if he had given me some good advice, he wasn't going to be a lot of help. I wasn't real charming and friendly myself, but I could stay sober and focus.

I spotted Prim walking out of her room, sitting down next to me. She buried her head in my shoulder, the same way she had when we were younger. Sometimes we talked, sometimes we didn't, but it didn't matter.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her closer, resisting the urge to cry. I was terrified for her; the Games were no place for someone as gentle as she was. It was nearly twenty minutes before she spoke up for the first time since the Reaping. "I don't want to go." she said softly, barely audible even to me.

"You're not going anywhere; I'll get you home." I promised.

Prim closed her mouth once again. Her face darkened, her body shivering in fear. "I don't want... I don't want you to miss me."

"Is that why you haven't spoken to me?" I asked her. It was beginning to make sense now. Not only did she not think that she was going to make it back, but she thought if she withdrew I wouldn't miss her.

"Prim, I couldn't live if anything happened to you." I explained. My emotions were threatening to choke the life out of me, even with my efforts to keep them under control. "Please, please, please, don't give up on me. You can win this thing, I know it. Just listen to my advice and you'll leave."

"No, I won't, Katniss." Prim replied sadly. "You're smart enough to know that. I can't fight the way you can. I can't use a bow, and I don't want to kill anyone. I don't want to lose myself the way Mr. Abernathy has."

I replied: "It's not going to be easy to deal with the nightmares. You know why I moved to the Victor's Village, don't you?"

"So me and Mom didn't have to hear you screaming in the middle of the night." Prim nodded.

"When you get out of there, it's going to be hard." I told her. I wanted to lie and tell her things would be fine once she won, but I had to be honest with her. Prim could see through most of my lies, anyway. "You're going to be Mentoring others the same way I am. But you can live and you can win. I have faith in you, Prim. You're smart; you know what to do."

"But I can't fight and you can." Prim protested. "Even worse, I'm going to have to kill. I don't want to become a murderer." She broke down crying then, not at the prospect of her own death, but the possibility and likelihood that she would have to kill someone else as well. I know that was her greatness handicap for the Games: her compassion, which many of her opponents will not have.

"Just remember: you're not alone in this." I told her.

"Peeta's already told me that he's getting me home as well." Prim continued. "I don't want anyone to sacrifice themselves for me! I know he's going to!"

"He just cares about you, Prim, just like I do." I insisted. "I love you, Prim. Promise me you're going to fight, ok?"

"But I don't want to..."

"Promise me, Prim!" I demanded, my voice starting to became harsh. I shouldn't be, but I found myself irritated with her. Didn't she know what her death would do to me?

"I promise," Prim whispered, curling up deeper. "I just don't want to kill anyone."

"I know, I know." I whispered back. I hoped she would, though. As much as it might affect her, she'd be dead if she refused. Several years ago, we had a Tribute who looked like she had a real chance of survival. There was only one problem: she refused to kill anyone, even when she had the opportunity. Her kindness ended up being her downfall and I feared that the same would happen to Prim.

Slowly but surely, she fell asleep where she wad. I wanted to take her back to her room, but I didn't want Prim to be disturbed, either. Gently, I pushed her back to free myself from her grip and grabbed the nearest blanket and put it over her, kissing her briefly on the cheek.

_No matter how old you get, you'll always be my little sister. _I thought. _I'm not going to give up on you, not now, not ever. I promised to get you home and that's precisely what I'm going to do. _No matter what I have to endure for her sake, it's a price I'm willing to pay.


	4. Complications

My apologies for the delay in updating. I've come down with an illness and still have not quite recovered from it. That being said, please enjoy the new installment.

**Prim's POV:**

This was the first day. The first day of our training. To say that I was nervous was a dramatic understatement. I didn't know how to fight, nor did I want to. I couldn't even endure watching a rabbit being killed during the few times Katniss had taken me hunting in the woods, and now I was going to have to learn to kill other human beings.

"It'll be fine, Prim, just watch." Peeta attempted to reassure me. He promised to look out for me and the others, both before the Games and during them. I think he intends to sacrifice himself so that I could get out of there alive.

"What do we do first?" I asked. The Career Tributes had already arrived and immediately headed to the deadliest weapons available. The largest of them, the boy from One, was swinging around a spiked ball attached to a chain with deadly skill, hitting one of the training dummies with deadly force. If that had been one of us, there would have been nothing me or my mother could have done to save them.

"Avoid everything we're good at," Peeta replied, memorizing Katniss' advice by heart. There was a weight bench he stared at, very tempted to show off his capabilities, but he refrained. I wouldn't have thought he had it in him, but he did. "I would suggest going to the snare section first."

"Has any of us ever done one of them before?" I asked. I had seen Katniss use them, which meant I knew the theory, but had never actually attempted it myself. Three days wasn't going to be enough time. Gale had offered to teach me, but I had said no. Hunting made me extremely uncomfortable.

"No, which is why we have to brush up on it." Peeta insisted. "We've got three days, so we had better make the most of it."

However, the woman at the station was patient and willing to show us, step by step, how to make a snare. She explained to us that it was useful both as catching food and at trapping other Tributes to take them out. I refuse to do so, however. I'm not about to take another human life. Even so, I was the first one to do it successfully. Peeta was having much more trouble.

Once I was done, I took a look around the others. Much to my surprise, we were gathering a lot of attention. The Career Tributes in particular were watching us closely, frightening me. Even when I tried to hide my fear, I was sure that the others were picking up on it. One of the girls pointed at me and grinned; there was no mistaking what that meant.

Even after two hours, Peeta failed to make a successful snare. He was trying to hide his frustration, I knew, but I had no difficulty picking up on it.

What am I doing here? I can't compete with any of the others. I'm not a fighter like my sister is and there are twenty-three other Tributes to compete best I can hope for is for someone to kill me quickly and not have me suffer. I thought about asking Peeta, but dismiss that almost immediately. He'd never do it, even if it would be a favor to me. He's determined to get me out of there.

_I can't win; you have to know that. _I thought. Of course, the person most affected by my death would be Katniss. She's been a mixture of sister and mother to me once Mom turned into a shell of herself. It took time for me to forgive her, but I've always been a forgiving person; Katniss never has.

Silently, I followed Peeta to the edible plants test. Everyone was watching us, even the non-Careers. I quickened my pace and warned Peeta, who turned his head around and nodded. "Why are they watching?" I whispered to him.

"Because we're working together," Peeta whispered back at me. "It doesn't look like any of the others are."

After a minute, I discover that Peeta's right. Save for One, Two, and Four, everyone else is working separately, some looking at survival skills, but most nervously testing weapons that they've never before handled in their life. The only other group seems to be a boy and girl in the corner, climbing. The girl is clearly more competent, while the boy seems unable to sustain a grip on the rope ladder.

"Remember: if you're not 100 percent sure that the plant is safe, don't eat it." The man at the edible plants station warned us. "I've seen many Tributes end up killing themselves that way."

I pass the test, although there are some incidents where I make a mistake. The others were watching me carefully, being that none of them had ever been in the woods or knew someone who had. I took the test over and over and over until I could get every one of them correct. Peeta had almost none of them correct, but I taught him, step by step, until he had at least a basic knowledge.

When it was time for lunch, I extended my finger, telling Peeta that I wanted to talk to him privately. Once we were out of earshot, I declared: "You're not sacrificing yourself for me."

"I don't intend to." Peeta lied. He might have been an accomplished liar, a necessary skill for dealing with his mother. There were numerous occasions where me and mom had to treat the injuries she inflicted, including once where she slashed him across the face with a knife. He made me promise to keep it secret, one I've kept, as tempted as I've been to tell others.

"Yes, you are." I pushed. He wasn't about to get away with lying to me. "I can't win this and you know this! Don't bother trying to deny it. I'm not a fighter, I'm not strong, and I'm not as good at surviving in the wild at Katniss is."

"Being a fighter isn't always important." Peeta tried to argue. "There are Victors who managed to outsmart the other Tributes. Just remember what Johanna..."

"She knew how to use a weapon, I don't!" I reminded him. "Look, just promise me that you'll make it quick. I don't want to end up in the hands of the Careers." I've seen how brutal they can make the deaths and the ones from Two are the worst. Three years ago, I watched them torture a Tribute for nearly two days before they finally killed her.

"I'm not going to kill you." Peeta looked at me with horror, just as I knew he would.

"Just promise me you'll do it if I fall into their hands!" I all but screamed at him. "Promise me!"

"Okay, okay, I promise." Peeta raised his hands, but I know he doesn't mean a word of it. I want to scream at Katniss for putting him up to this, but I know that even if Katniss said nothing, he'd do it anyway because of how he felt about her. Of course, my sister is oblivious, even though he's all but given her a sign that he likes her.

"Just... take care of Katniss, ok?" I begged him. She had always been overprotective of me from the time I was an infant, even more so since I was Reaped the first time. I still remember the incident close to a year ago.

_I met him at the outside of his home. He was in a bad way with a story similar to my own. His father had died in the mine and his mother was having difficulty supporting him and his three younger siblings. Even signing up for tesserae was not enough to keep them alive._

_ Being that he was my friend, I decided to help him out and give him a large bucket of food from Katniss' winnings. It was more than we were ever going to need and I had witnessed her doing the same many times. At first, he said: "No, I can't accept this."_

_ "Come on, you need this." I pushed. We had been friends for years and I was not going to abandon him now. "Your family's starving and you can't afford to turn this down."_

_ He stayed silent for a few seconds. "All right, I'll take it." He informed me. "I just don't want to feel like I'm... mooching off you, that's the word."_

_ "You're not; you're my friend and this is what friends do." I pointed out to him. "You did the same for me once." True, it was less than I'm giving him, but he's from the Seam, same as I was. "Enjoy the food, Fred."_

_ "I will; thanks very much, Prim." Fred kissed me on the cheek. We had dated briefly, for about a week, but then decided that we were far better off as friends. _

_ However, this was precisely the scene that Katniss walked into. "What the hell are you doing?" She screamed at him, furious. _

_ "I was just... thanking her." Fred responded, holding up the basket of food._

_ "Didn't look like that to me." Katniss glared. "It looked like you were kissing my sister. Don't you ever lie to me!" She punched him in the gut, doubling him over. I screamed at her to stop, but it was like she couldn't hear me. "You think you can take advantage of her? I know your type, damn it!"_

_ "Katniss, stop!" I begged her. "He's my friend!"_

_ "She was just..." Fred tried to gasp out._

_ "Shut the hell up!" Katniss screamed, doubling him over again. She punched him in each jaw, slamming him against the wall. "Don't you ever touch Prim again, understand?" Fred stayed silent, now shaking in fear. Katniss took out a knife, pressing it against his throat. "I said, do you understand me?! Touch her again, I will kill you!"_

_ "Ok. ok, just let me go please." Fred begged, now crying his eyes out. I pulled on Katniss' arm, trying to get her to release her grip, but she's too strong for me. Her arm doesn't budge an inch. _

_ Katniss made a slight line of blood on the bottom of his neck. "Just to show you I'm not bluffing... and remember, I killed Career Tributes. You'd be nothing by comparison." Once she left him go, he tripped over his own feet to get away, the food I brought him long since forgotten._

It took me weeks to forgive Katniss for that, especially since he never talked to me again; neither did most of my other friends. The story spread far and wide, meaning that they were too terrified of her to approach me. Only a couple of my former friends still talk to me after that incident and most of the Seam makes an effort to avoid Katniss, even if she hasn't realized that.

I look over at Peeta once again, hoping that he can take care of her when I'm gone. And that he'll tell the truth about what he wants to say.

**Katniss' POV**

"Well, this has been a frustrating day." I groaned. That was, if anything, an understatement. I spent several hours with potential sponsors and having very little to show for it.

The only bit of good news was that a few of them were willing to contribute to my Tribute's survival. However, most of them are willing to sponsor Peeta alone, being that he looks the most impressive. Only one out of hundreds of people were willing to give Prim any help. Many had actually made promises of future support, assuming of course that they could survive through the first two to three days.

But while I was disappointed, I am not surprised. District 12 rarely receives any attention at all and Haymitch had even informed me that I was lucky to do as well as I did. Last year was even more difficult, although the two of them managed to get to the final eight even without them. Now, though, it was far more critical because Prim was about to go into the Games.

Once I walked into the District 12 floor, I observed that all the others had already arrived. Haymitch was sitting on the couch, not nearly as drunk as I was expecting him to be. He was even laughing at the show that was playing, a show called "How do I love thee" which is apparently a hit among Capitol audiences. Personally, I think he just enjoys it because he gets to see them torture each other for prizes. No matter how much time I spend here, I simply cannot understand them.

Prim and Peeta were sitting together at the table eating, an obvious alliance between them. I looked at Prim carefully, hoping that she was going to show a sign of life, a fighting spirit, but while there was now a minor spark, it was still clouded with despair. "Hello, Katniss." Peeta replied, and I was quite acutely aware of his eyes on me. "How did the meeting go?"

"It went Ok; I think there's some potential." I replied, sort of lying. I didn't want to tell them that it depended on how long they survived. "It was certainly exhausting, though."

"Did Haymitch find anyone?" Peeta asked again. Prim was now willing to look at me, but still didn't talk much. She was still hoping I wouldn't miss her if anything happened, but I refused to think of that possibility, perhaps even likelihood.

"No, I did most of the work." I admitted. "He thought that they might be more willing if I talked to him." Haymitch's exact words were: "You'll do fine, sweetheart. Just remember: beauty sells, so dress appropriately." He used a rather more vulgar term than that, but I wasn't going to say it in front of Prim, though she was actually more knowledgeable than I am. In a way, it worked; I had gotten an enormous amount of attention.

Unfortunately, it didn't do me a lot of good. Most of the potential sponsors that I had talked to were too busy staring at my chest, of which a good part of it was exposed, to pay any attention to what I was actually saying. On a couple of occasions, it turned out to be to my benefit because they mindlessly agreed to what I asked them for. However, the propositions were quite unpleasant and it took everything I had not to respond physically. I received attention, just not the type I was looking for.

Even Peeta was looking me over, even though he was trying to hide it. He wasn't openly leering, the way most of them did at the Sponsor gathering, but he was looking, that much I could see.

"I'm sure you won them over; you look stunning!" Peeta complimented me.

"Uh... thanks." I told him. What else could I possibly say? He obviously found me attractive, but was there another reason for it? I still had not completely forgotten our encounter on the train. If Haymitch had not interrupted... I don't know, I really don't. I begin to take a closer look at him. He's certainly attractive, that much I will admit. I've never been one who was a real romantic, but I did look at others on occasion.

Ever since that one day, the boy with the bread had always been in the back of my mind. I sometimes looked at him in school, along with half of the female class. My eyes looked him over, settling on his lips. I absently wondered what it would be like to feel them against mine, how it would taste, how it would feel. It terrified me, but at the same time, also excited me.

"Uh... sweetheart, if you're finished using Peeta as eye candy, we've got some things to go over." Haymitch pointed out.

I came to, a blush rising to my face. If I saw myself in a mirror, I was certain that I'd be glowing red. My embarrassment quickly grew, finding myself speechless. It was too much to hope for that Peeta didn't notice, but I still hoped that he did not.

Even if he did notice, he was at least willing not to comment on it and make my embarrassment worse. Prim was a different story. It looked like she was trying not to laugh. She gave me a knowing grin, one that I had seen a thousand times before; it meant that she was going to be making fun of me for the rest of my life about this.

"So... what else can you tell us?" Peeta asked in an attempt to break the awkward silence. He was trying to spare me all the humiliation he could. "How do we win this thing?"

"Haymitch, you go do what you can for them." I ordered him. He merely glared at me. "I mean it, go!" He gave a rude gesture with his finger, but left.

"I can't lie: it's not going to be easy." I admitted to them. "Your greatest obstacles are going to be the Careers."

"We know this; how do we beat them?" Prim asked impatiently. Even if she was being rude, it relieved me. She was finally showing some life and a willingness to win.

"Typically, how other Tributes win is destroying their supplies." I explained. "They don't know how to survive on their own in the mild. You were at training; did they pay any attention to the survival skills?"

"No, none of them did." Prim admitted. "It looked a little strange to me."

"It's because they don't consider it necessary." I continued.

"Yeah, I remember watching you win." Peeta cut in. "For a while there, I didn't think you'd do it, but you destroyed all of it. But... how can we? I don't know how to use a bow or... any ranged weapon."

"I'll have to think about that," I admitted. I went through videos of previous Hunger Games to remember how other tributes accomplished it. Out of all of them, though, I don't remember it actually being mined; that was unique to my game. "You'll have to wait for the opportunity. One thing I can tell you: ignore the Cornucopia. It's an excellent way to get killed."

"We know; you've told us that a dozen times." Prim pointed out to me.

"It's worth repeating." I insisted. "Peeta, how fast can you run?" I already knew what Prim could do. She was not a quick runner, even if she had overall endurance.

"I'm fairly fast; never won any prizes for it in school." Peeta shrugged.

"Well, here's what I can tell you: it won't matter." I declared. "Countless tributes think that they can run fast enough or evade and get out of there with a bunch of supplies, but they're always wrong." That was a lie; a few are able to either run very quickly or fight well enough to escape. I wasn't about to put ideas in their head, though. "There's a lot of excellent food and weapons in the center to draw you in, so don't fall for it."

"We'll remember," Peeta promised. I certainly hope so. Most Tributes who ignored it ended up dead. Fortunately, the two of them were willing to listen to me. Indeed, they hung on my every word.

The rest of the day went the same as before. I spent most of it giving advice, fully aware that I was repeating myself several times over. Once it had gotten to the point where they were becoming bored even through their terror. "All right, give it a rest, sweetheart." Haymitch cut in. "We can resume this tomorrow."

It was sunset; I couldn't believe it. Had time really gone by that quickly? "Well, we've got a good idea what to do now." Peeta smiled. "I'm sure you can win us plenty of sponsors, Katniss."

"So how many have I gotten?" Prim asked me.

"A few, but it's early yet." I informed her.

"I didn't get any, did I?" Prim whispered, her despair beginning to return. Please don't give up on me again, Prim! "What am I going to do?"

"You've got a sponsor, don't worry." I attempted to reassure her. Peeta went one step farther and put his arm around her shoulder. "You may not be as strong as them, but you're smarter than them. You did far better in school than I ever have."

"That's true," she perked up a little bit.

"And how many of the edible plants do you know?" I continued.

"I got most of them right; there are a few I don't yet understand." Prim told me. "I'm also getting better at knife throwing, but... I don't want to kill anyone." Unfortunately, she would likely have to, lest they do the same to her. That was the central purpose of the games.

"We'll cross that when we come to it." I interrupted, not wishing to see her agonizing over it, even though part of me envied that innocence of hers. I didn't want to kill anyone, either... at first. By the end, I was actively hunting for the other Tributes and in some cases, even enjoyed killing them, people who were no less victims than I was. It took me nearly two years to realize that, but realize it I do.

We ate our dinner in silence after I went into my room and changed into something that I was more comfortable in. Now that the Sponsor meeting was over, I saw no need to expose myself. Occasionally, one of them asked a question, but otherwise, we ate in silence. Neither of them ate as rapidly as before, as they got used to the rich food of the Capitol. Effie looked almost paralyzed with relief.

"I must say, I'm optimistic about our chances." She exclaimed, deciding that if nobody else was going to talk, then she'd fill up the gap. "Our entrance was stunning and Katniss has informed me that all of you are doing quite well in training. She's become quite an excellent mentor." She gave a pointed look at Haymitch, who made a rude gesture in response and continued to eat.

I know she genuinely meant it as a compliment, which seems like a miracle considering our antagonistic relationship, but I wanted nothing more than to slap her across the face! I don't want to learn how to be good at sending children to their deaths! That's not a compliment... but I refrain from saying anything. I bite my lip enough to draw blood and sit there as she rambles on.

"I actually received an offer to escort District 1, but after careful consideration, I turned them down." Effie admitted, which took me by surprise. As long as I've known her, she's complained about being stuck with District 12. "I've become comfortable where I am... in spite of it all." She gave another pointed look at Haymitch.

"Yeah, yeah, love you too, you twit." Haymitch groaned. "Now let me eat." Effie walked off in a huff. "Thought we'd never be able to stop her yammering."

"It was still rude, you know." Peeta pointed out. "Even if she's... well, she's not all bad." He was about to say "from the Capitol" I'm sure of it. It was a good thing he caught himself; I don't know what they'd do if he finished, but it would certainly be unpleasant.

"Somehow, I think she'll live." Haymitch dismissed. For the rest of the meal, I couldn't help but spend much of my time looking at Peeta. There was a strange feeling in my heart that I didn't understand. I'd like to pretend that it's guilt, but... that's not all. There's something else. He broke out laughing when Prim whispered in his ear, something I thought was impossible in a place like this.

He turned towards me, becoming aware of me staring at him. With a blush, I looked away, hoping he was oblivious to it. It was obvious, though, that nobody else was. Prim grinned at me knowingly, while Tyler and Petunia glared at me furiously; the latter "accidentally" flung one of her forks at me, the dull end hitting me in the shoulder.

Before I could say anything about it, I heard a knock on the door. Expecting it to be the Prep Team, I push myself out of my seat to answer it, Haymitch quickly moving in to steal my food. However, it's a duo of Peacekeepers, clad in white armor. "Miss Everdeen?" One of them asked. Only the voice told me that the Peacekeeper was male.

"What do you want?" I sighed, containing an outburst.

"Hey, we're trying to eat here!" Haymitch exclaimed, getting out of his chair. "Why don't you parasites buzz off and let me eat in peace?" He was stumbling on his feet, but if I didn't know any better, I'd think he was faking his drunkenness.

"We have important business that supersedes your meal." The second Peacekeeper replied. "Miss Everdeen, President Snow wishes to speak with you.

Well, that can't be good, can it? As always, please read, enjoy, and review my work. The more reviews I get, the faster I update.


	5. Chapter 5

FYI, I've revised the previous chapters. I wasn't very happy with them, so I decided to make some changes, following some of the advice that a reviewer gave me, so check it out.

Well, I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and that everyone has a Happy New Year. And now onto the next chapter...

The instant I heard those words, my blood froze. What could Snow possibly want with me? How did I get his attention? From the looks of it, everyone else was just as shocked as I was. Haymitch wracked his brain, trying to think of an excuse why I couldn't come with them.

However, I was not given time to collect my thoughts and help out as the Peacekeepers escorted me to where I presumed was Snow's office. Neither of them laid a hand on me, but I knew better than to try any form of escape. I'd be dead before I got five feet, and so would Prim and Peeta, so I forced myself to move forward.

_Was he going to kill me? _I couldn't help but ask. As we went down the elevator and I climbed into one of the vehicles, I was too terrified to even speak or ask where we were going. There were often people who died mysterious deaths in District 12. People who looked healthy that suddenly dropped dead, mysterious accidents that killed someone who should have been safe, someone who criticized the Capitol and disappeared. It was something you didn't talk about. If you did, you would disappear next, and there would be rumors surrounding your untimely death.

Even at night, the Capitol shone in the sky, but to me, it was still a prison. I was stuck in the middle of two Peacekeepers, with a third in the driver's seat. At least one of them kept their hand on their weapon at all times in case I tried anything foolish.

It certainly crossed my mind. I watched all of them carefully, hoping for an opening, but they were too smart to give me one. They were obviously professionals, not the inexperienced and lazy Peacekeepers that allowed the brief rebellion to gain strength before reinforcements arrived to crush it.

Eventually, we stopped at what could only be Snow's building. Even by the standards of the Capitol, it was extraordinary. It stood eight stories high, over one hundred feet, and surrounded by security. Even from my limited view, I counted at least fifty Peacekeepers, all of whom had their weapons trained on me. Only my experience in managing fear in the Games kept me from throwing up on his wonderfully-kept yard.

The door was already open, indicating that Snow was accepting a visitor. If possible, the inside looked even more beautiful than the outside. A single room was bigger than my entire house, even the Victor's Village. As awed as I was, I was at the same time filled with disgust at the way the Capitol lived at the expense of the rest of the rest of us.

I was all but dragged into the elevator, which hurriedly took me up to the top floor. The Peacekeepers took me into the second door to the left, something I made a note of. I didn't know why, but it seemed important. "I'm glad you chose to join me, Miss Everdeen." Snow gave a malicious smile. He had been Panem's ruler for thirty years, but he hadn't changed a bit. The first thing I noticed about him was the strong smell of roses, along with... something else, but I didn't know what it was. "If you will please leave so Me and Miss Everdeen can talk privately..." The Peacekeepers nodded and shut the door, leaving me alone in a room with the most powerful person in Panem.

"I think we can make this easier and simpler if we agree not to lie to one another." Snow suggested, getting right to the point. It was strange not seeing him surrounded by flags. I would have assumed his office would be covered in them, but it was almost completely bare, save for a few filing cabinets.

"Yes, I think it'll save time." I agreed, wanting to get out of this place as soon as possible. Every inch of this room screamed of death. How many deaths had he planned, sitting in a desk just the way he was now. And was I about to become one of them?

"I've got a few difficulties I'm currently in the process of dealing with." Snow began. "Many of them seem to lead to a certain young girl from District 12."

"I haven't done anything!" I protested in equal parts anger and fear. All I was doing was trying to keep Prim alive, same as I've been doing for much of my life. What did he possibly think I did? It doesn't matter; I'm going to get the blame for it.

"Now some of my advisors tell me that you've been quite difficult." Snow smiled, his lips tightening. "They think you're up to something, but I disagreed. You're not planning on being difficult, correct?"

"No, no, I'm not." I gulped, which was true.

"That's good to hear." Snow smirked. "After all, her sister and... someone she knows better than I first suspected are Tributes for the 76th Hunger Games. She's not going to do anything stupid, since they'll be going into the Arena and there are many, many possibilities for something to happen in the Arena."

"I'm not stupid and I'm not being difficult." I struggle to defend myself. If I say the wrong thing or do anything to anger him, Prim's going to suffer for it. Perhaps not immediately, but she will; I'm sure of it. Before I could stop myself, though, I asked: "Did you rig the Reaping to make sure Prim was chosen?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." Snow admitted. "I had no hand in the boy being chosen; that was merely a fortunate accident."

I had long suspected that this was not coincidence, but to hear it laid out in such blunt terms still terrified me beyond reason. What did I do? Haven't I been through enough? I haven't done anything to the Capitol! Yes, Gale tried to persuade me, but I said no; had Prim to think about. "Why?" I finally managed to gasp out.

"I warned you that actions have consequences Miss Everdeen; perhaps now you will be more willing to listen." Snow told me with his smug grin. "I have a certain problem... a problem than began when you volunteered to save your sister's life."

"I haven't done anything!" I screamed at him fearfully.

"I believe you, at least as far as you know." Snow conceded. "However, it seems that you have become a... symbol for others. I don't think we've ever had so many volunteers from Districts without a strong relationship to the Capitol; what you call the Career Districts."

He was right about one thing: I'd never seen that before. I didn't think it was because of my actions, but apparently Snow believed differently. "I don't get it; what's wrong with Volunteers. The Reaping is set up to allow them."

"I don't expect you to understand, Miss Everdeen." Snow continued. "What I do expect you to know is that things have become rather unstable since your victory. The uprising in your district, District 11, Eight, and Five have made that quite clear. Do you know how many have died in this uprising?" I stayed silent, not knowing what to say. "Nearly 1,000 people, out of three million in this country. This state of affairs cannot be tolerated. Perhaps I have grown complacent; I previously paid little attention to your worthless District. You were too small and too poor to consider keeping an eye on; that has changed."

"What are you going to do?" I worried.

"Put an end to this before it starts and you're going to help me." Snow commanded. "I originally considered killing you, except I refuse to make you a martyr in a foolish rebellion."

"I'm not a symbol in the rebellion!" I protested.

"Ah, so you do know of it?" Snow smiled, catching me in a trap. "I suspected as much, but I couldn't very well kill you directly. Having your sister as a Tribute should send a direct message. How easy or how difficult her time in the Arena will be depends on how much you cooperate with me."

"What do you want from me?" I asked him.

He folded his hands and stared deeply into me. "Tell me everything you know about the rebellion." He demanded.

The next couple of days went by quickly, as Snow's words echoed through my head over and over. I'm ashamed to admit that I barely spoke to even Prim. I gave her some reassurances, but for the most part, I kept my distance. My mind was frantic; what was going to happen to her?

"So how do you think you did?" Prim asked Peeta. The scores were going to be broadcast in a moment, all of us watching intently to see what kind of sponsors they were going to get.

"I have no idea; I just threw weights and wrestled until I was told to leave." Peeta admitted. "What did you do?"

"I showed what I can do with a knife, but it didn't look like they were paying any attention." Prim replied. "There was even a force field in front of them, in case anyone tried to attack them, but... who would be crazy enough to do that?"

"Okay, sit down." I ordered them, knowing full well that it was my actions that caused them to take such a step. "We'll find out in a few minutes." Both of them were fidgeting nervously, but surprisingly, Prim was calmer than I expected her to be. While it took a strong effort, she folded her hands in front of her and waited patiently for the scores.

"How do you think they'll do?" I whispered over at Haymitch.

"Can't know for sure, Katniss; we'll find out when they post them." Haymitch replied, for once limiting his drinking.

"I mean, am I going to end up making them a target?" I worried, confessing my fears to them.

"There's a good chance of it." Haymitch sighed. "May not be what you wanted to hear, but it's true."

"What are you two whispering about?" Prim asked us, interrupting our hushed conversation.

"Just planning strategies for you two," I lied, hoping they would buy it. It was at least plausible, being that it's what I've been doing ever since they were Reaped. "Do you two remember everything I said?"

"Yes, we know." Peeta nodded.

"Quiet, quiet, all of you!" Haymitch exclaimed. "They're about to announce the scores."

The boy from One receives an eleven, astonishing even for a Career Tribute and it froze my blood cold. How were they going to survive that?! _No, Prim's going to win; don't forget that. _I thought, but even to my ears, it sounded too much like denial. The girl from one receives a nine, lower but still excellent.

The other Careers are in the eight to ten range, but none of them watch the score of the District One boy. Both members of district 3 receive a 4, , which seems to be closer to the average this time around. The boy from Seven receives a 7, which I did not expect. The girl from Seven, his younger sister, receives an Eight. That I could barely wrap my head around; she looked no bigger than Prim. How could she possibly have received an Eight?

_How could I have gotten a score of Eleven? _I reminded myself. Perhaps the Careers were not the only deadly threats that Prim would have to face.

None of the others jumped out in any way, and now it was time for District Twelve. "Peeta Mellark, with a score of nine!" Claudius Templesmith announced. Nine?! Apart from mine, that was the highest score I remember a District 12 Tribute ever getting? It meant that Peeta would be the one to receive most of the sponsors, and while I considered him a friend, it was Prim I was focusing on.

"And finally, Primrose Everdeen, the younger sister of Katniss Everdeen, Victor of the 74th Hunger Games." Claudius continued. "After intense debate, she had been awarded a score of... six."

Six?! Well, that's... better than I expected, to tell you the truth. It meant that Sponsors would at least be looking at her, even if she wasn't going to get the support that some of the others would.

"Excellent job, Prim!" Peeta exclaimed, patting her on the shoulder.

"You're growing up to be just like your sister!" Effie gushed. "You even have better manners, no offense, Katniss. This will get you plenty of Sponsors; now all you have to do are the interviews."

"When are those?" Prim gulped. I admit, I should have thought of that. She was often nervous to even speak out in class, and she'd be live in front of all of Panem.

"We've got until tomorrow to prepare both of you." Haymitch declared. "Now... your scores help, but the interview is what truly attracts sponsors."

"How many are going to be watching?" Prim shrunk back at the realization.

As much as I want to lie to her, I know that she'll see through it. "Everyone's going to be watching you." I warned her. "You've seen the interviews before; they're required viewing for all of us." At those words, she completely froze; I can't blame her. When I first heard those wards, I acted very similar to her.

It took at least a minute before she spoke up again. "I only have a day; how am I supposed to prepare?" Prim gulped.

"You practice with me," I told her.

However, this proved to be easier said than done. Half the time I asked her a question, she either delayed answering or refused to answer at all. I coached her yet again, waiting for a response, but she was staring off into space.

_If she has a difficult time doing it in front of me, how is she going to do it in front of everyone? _I thought. I hated being tough with her, but I was beginning to grow impatient. "Look, you've got to say something; this is crucial to getting sponsors." I insisted, more sharply than I meant.

"I'm doing my best!" She protested. "I'm just not very good at this!"

"Could be worse; you could be working with Effie, who'd be working you nearly to death trying to fit you into a dress." I reminded her.

"It really takes that long?" Prim's eyes widened. "When I saw you on the screen before, it looked natural."

"Thank you, and I managed to do it without strangling Effie half to death!" I joked. After the Games, it was easy to joke about death, but I could tell it startled Prim. Deciding to change the subject, I continued: "Okay, what's your angle?"

"I was thinking of just being myself and hoping for the best." Prim admitted. "I can't pretend to be someone I'm not."

"Yes, I think that it could work." I nodded after a brief pause. "Remember, you've got to keep still and with your hands folded in front of you. It'll appear that you're better than the so-called barbarians in our district... yes, that's how they refer to us." I hastily added before she could ask me any questions.

We did another practice interview, and this time Prim did slightly better, although she still did not stand out. Her voice was quiet and I told her to appear shy and astonished at the Capitol. "Tell them how big and marvelous compared to home it is." I continued.

"But I hate this place; everything looks fake here." Prim complained.

"I know, but tell them anyway." I ordered her. "They love nothing more than to be complicated, no matter how fake it might be. I told my last Tributes that and look at how well they did." I know as soon as those words came out of my mouth that it was the wrong thing to say.

"But they died anyway," Prim reminded.

"They didn't have any skills, while you do." I pointed out. "How much did you learn in the Training Center?"

"I did what you told me to, but I don't think I learned enough." Prim gulped. "Katniss, I've done my best, but I can't bring myself to die!"

"You're not going to die, I forbid it!" I exclaimed. "I didn't think I'd make it, either, but here I am." I grabbed Prim's hand and wrapped it in both of mine. "You can make it too, I promise.

Prim's POV

It was only a matter of minutes before the interviews started, but to me, it felt like hours. I couldn't speak in front of everyone! What if I froze up? What if I said something stupid? What if...

"You'll do great," Peeta chuckled. "Just look at you; who could resist sponsoring you?" It was easy for him to say; he did far better than I had during the practice interviews. I actually heard Haymitch laughing in the other room, something I hadn't realized he was even capable of.

"I don't know... everyone?" I gulped. I was so nervous, I wasn't even paying attention to any of the other interviews. The girl from One was up, but I didn't catch a word she was saying.

"I have full confidence in you." Peeta smiled at me. My sister was doing her best, but she appeared to be almost as nervous as I was. Before I knew it, the first interview was over. I both wanted them to hurry up so I could get this experience over with and wanted it to delay permanently.

Trying to take my mind of it, I wondered if Peeta was ever going to admit it. I could see it, almost everyone knew it but Katniss. Was he going into the Games with it unsaid? I told Katniss what little I've held back from her, not wanting to die with anything unsaid. Peeta, however, hasn't said something, and I wondered if he ever planned to. I hoped so; he had a much better chance of winning than me and maybe he could help her recover from my death.

Probably not, though, unless he planned on telling the entire world that he was in love with his Mentor. Who'd be crazy enough to do that in front of everyone, though?

Before I knew it, it was my turn to climb up onto the stage. I froze, unable to move until Katniss gave me a gentle push upward. I wanted to run backstage, but I knew it would only make me a target so foot by foot, step by step, I forced myself to walk to the stage and take a seat.

"Well, well, it's Primrose Everdeen!" Caesar Flickerman exclaimed. Even up close, his face and red hair looked strange and creepy. "I think we're all familiar with her older sister, aren't we?" A roar of approval came up from the audience.

"Yes, that's her." I replied quietly, almost too quietly to hear.

"Yes, of course that's her!" Caesar laughed, making sure the entire audience heard my words. "So, tell me: what's your favorite thing about the Capitol?"

This might be risky, but it's worth a try: "Oh, please don't make me choose; it's all just so wonderful." I giggled. There, that certainly can't backfire on me, can it?" The audience applauded, telling me that I said precisely the right thing. Deciding to continue, I added: "It's so big and beautiful and... it's hard to describe, really."

"I've lived here my entire life and I'm still awed by it." Caesar laughed.

"Hey, I'm just amazed at the audience; don't get me started on everything else." I smiled, an almost genuine. Backstage, Katniss gives me a thumbs up.

"And we're amazed by you, am I right?" Caesar called out to them. Half of them stood up and cheered, giving me an idea of just how big the crowd was. There had to be more people in this building than there were in all of District 12. "Just look at that dress; you're glowing!"

"Wow, do you really think so?" I asked, my eyes widening. "I'm lucky to have such a great stylist."

"Now about your training score... what did you think of it?" Caesar asked.

"I was surprised, and... I hoped to live up to how well Katniss did." I half-lied. I didn't expect to get such a high score, but the last thing I was thinking of was my sister. During the evaluation, I was furious at being put into the games and threw knife after knife into the training dummies.

"Don't count yourself out; you did very well." Caesar smiled. "Now... care to give us the details?"

"I'm sorry, I can't say anything." I gave an evil smirk. "That would ruin the surprise."

"She's a fighter, this one!" Caesar laughed. "Now... what did your sister say when you were chosen as a Tribute?"

"Katniss made me promise to win, to come home." I said after what must have been a long pause. "I promised her I would."

"Well, we'll have to wait and see." The buzzer sounded, meaning that I could finally leave the stage. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Primrose Everdeen, District 12!"

Once I left the stage, Katniss hugged me so tightly, I thought my ribs were going to break. "You did great, Prim." Katniss kissed me on the cheek. "I told you you could do it!"

"Yeah, I ... I guess I did." I managed to gasp out. Looking back, I still can't believe that I said a word, much less had the audience's complete attention.

Now that my interview was over with, I turned around to see how Peeta was doing. The entire audience was laughing at his story, as was Caesar. As impressed as I was, my heart also sunk like a stone. How was I going to compete with that?

"So is there anyone back home waiting for you?" Caesar asked him. Peeta shook his head. "Come on, there has to be someone, a charming young man like you."

"Well, there is someone who's gotten my attention." Peeta said after a few seconds. The audience shouted louder than I imagined possible, half the women in the audience screaming, hoping he was referring to them.

"Details, details, tell us!" Caesar insisted.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you." Peeta grinned. "She's currently watching this right now and I don't think she even realizes how I feel about her." After another moment, he added: "She's currently in the Capitol and she's the most beautiful girl I've ever known."

"Well, after you win this thing, there's no way anyone could resist you!" Caesar exclaimed. "I think my entire audience has fallen in love with you; you're not trying to force me out of a job, right?"

"No, you're safe; wouldn't dream of taking it away from someone as talented as you." Peeta chuckled. "And as for her... we'll have to see." The buzzer rang, indicating that they were out of time.

Katniss' POV

I stared at Peeta in astonishment. I knew he was a natural at interviews, but I never believed that everyone in the Capitol would fall for him. As impressed as I was, I worried about what that might mean from Prim. She did well, certainly better than I had, but her performance had been overshadowed.

Of course, judging by the glares of all the other Tributes around us, their feelings were pretty similar. "Where's Prim?" I asked, losing her in the crowd.

"Damn it, couldn't she wait another minute!" Haymitch cursed.

I eventually found her... cornered by the boy from One. "You're not going to last five minutes; I'll make sure of that, bitch." He grinned. Prim tried to inch away, but he grabbed her arm and pulled it behind her. The others were horrified, but made no effort to intervene. Indeed, his Mentors seemed to be watching with approval.

"Let her go!" I demanded.

"No, I don't think I will." He laughed, punching her in the back and holding her immobile. "Why wait until the Games begin? I can kill her right now!"

I clenched my fists, trying to think of a plan of action. It was obvious that nobody else was going to do anything about it, so I got into a fighting position, even though I knew that I wasn't going to be able to win.

Only to have Haymitch beat me to it. He kicked him between the legs and shoved him against the wall, glaring furiously. "That's my Tribute you're brutalizing." He reminded, softer and more deadly than I had ever heard him. "Just in case you're thinking of trying something... I'm a Victor. I won the Games; you haven't."

He briefly thought it over before backing down. "Watch your back, little girl." He smiled. "You're the first one I'm going to kill." Cashmere and Gloss led him off, the former giving me a vicious smile as they disappeared.

"Are you all right, Prim?" I asked.

"I... I think so," Prim replied, but what little confidence she had before was gone when she learned that he intended to make her the target of his wrath.

"Okay, it's the last night before the Games." I hurriedly changed the subject. "I want both of you to get some sleep; take a sleeping pill if you need to. Trust me, you're going to need every second of it."

As I led them back to our floor, Prim had once again become silent, and I dearly hoped that she had not decided to give up again. I went through my list of potential Sponsors, hoping it would be enough. I had some optimism; their interviews had definitely gotten attention.

My mind wondered back to what Snow had warned me. I'm ashamed to say that I told him everything, desperate to keep Prim alive. I didn't know much, just a few rumors that I had heard. I held back what little I could, not wanting to implicate anyone, but it was probably enough for him to destroy what remained of the resistance in Twelve.

_I did what was necessary for Prim, _I justified it to myself. I only hoped that what I was doing would be enough.

I admit, I was originally going to divide this into two chapters, but found that I didn't have enough material for it, so I merged them into one. The next chapter is when the Games truly begin. As always, please read and review.


	6. Let the Games begin!

I woke up in the middle of the night, to my lack of surprise. I knew I desperately needed sleep, but my brain simply would not cooperate. _Although I got more than I thought I would. _I looked over at the clock, which stated 4:20, meaning that the games would begin in around five hours.

Knowing that no further sleep was possible, I wandered into the main room to prepare myself as best I could. Previously, I believed that the Games themselves would be the most difficult part of being a Tribute, but I would gladly go through it a second time if it meant that Prim would be spared my experience.

When I turned the lights on slightly, I spotted Peeta sitting on the couch, staring off into space. "What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"Gave up on going to sleep, so I decided to come out here and wait." Peeta replied. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No, I was already up." I reassured him. "Are you ready?" What I didn't want to mention was that I was sacrificing him for Prim. It was necessary, but that didn't mean I didn't feel horribly guilty about it.

"As much as I can be." Peeta sighed. "Look, Katniss... don't feel guilty about what you have to do. I've never had a chance of winning the Games anyway."

"If you think that way, you're not going to last long." I reminded him. The Tributes who had simply given up rarely did.

"I don't like it, but I've got to face up to it." Peeta insisted. "What I'm hoping for is to make my life count, accomplish something before I die, like saving Prim. Death isn't what scares me."

"What does, then?" I wondered. Early death was a fact of life in District 12, but people from the Town rarely had to worry about keeling over from starvation. I know he didn't mean it that way, but I still had to bite my tongue to keep from snapping at him.

"I'm afraid of changing in there." Peeta admitted. "I'm afraid of becoming a monster. If I die, I want to die as me, not some... what's the word? Psycho, that's it."

"Peeta, you're not a monster." I insisted. "You're saving Prim at the cost of your own life..." _which I should not be asking you to do. _My guilty conscience spoke out. "And you saved mine and you looked after my family when I was here, made sure they had enough food. A monster wouldn't do that."

"I know, and I'm not one now." Peeta sighed. "Once I go into the games, though... that's what terrifies me, more than anything. I wish I could tell... never mind, it's not important."

"What is it?" I insisted. If he was going to die, he shouldn't leave anything unsaid.

"Never mind, I'm just being silly." Peeta pushed himself to his feet and poured himself some water. I tried pushing him to say whatever it was he was going to say, but he refused.

"Do you need any more advice?" I decided to change the subject. "Do you know what to do?"

"Yes, stay out of the Cornucopia and find high ground." Peeta responded. "I just hope you received some sponsors for me because I can't survive in the wild the way you can."

"I'll do everything I can," I promised.

After another hour or so, Prim walked in as well and it was evident that she had not slept a wink. Her eyes were red from crying, even though she was trying her hardest to hide it from me. I kept the conversation light, knowing that she needed to appear as prepared as possible. The boy from One had made her his top target and she was going to have to be prepared for that.

As the sun went up, Cinna arrived to make the final dressings and preparations. Neither of them did anything to resist him, the way I had. Haymitch had finally woken up just minutes before it was time for them to leave. I glared at him furiously. "No time, sweetheart; we've got to get moving as well."

Just before they left, though, I hugged Prim tightly, tears beginning to run down my eyes. All my fake confidence had disappeared, replaced by fear and dread. I whispered "I love you, I love you" into her ear over and over again. Haymitch all but had to drag me off of Prim.

I turned to Peeta and while I didn't crush his ribs the way I did Prim, I still held on tightly, trying to get a handle over my tears. "I'll get her back, I promise you." Peeta told me. I felt the sensation of his hand in my hair, going up and down, trying to reassure me. It was a strange feeling, but much to my surprise... I kind of liked it.

Finally, and there was no avoiding it, Prim and Peeta walked to the elevator, ready to compete in the Games. I should have put on a brave face, but there was no hiding my agony. What I had been through in the past week was nothing compared to now. Would they listen to me? Would they run? Was there something I should have told them?

I was so afraid that I barely heard Prim's last words before the elevator door shut. "Why didn't you tell her, Peeta?" Prim asked.

"I don't want to put her through that, have it hanging over her head." Peeta replied. Before I could ask what they were talking about, though, the doors shut and they disappeared.

"Come on, we've got to get moving." Haymitch insisted, leading me towards the Mentor's room. My mind barely registered the journey.

"How long do we have?" I asked him once we arrived.

"It's another forty-five minutes, enough time to check the prices and how much we've received from sponsors." Haymitch explained.

I hurriedly sit down, almost tripping over the chair in my haste. I begin typing, only it won't show me the information I want to know. Growing more and more frustrated, I try it a second time, but still nothing.

"Calm down, Katniss, let me do it." Haymitch offered, climbing into the chair next to me. There was less alcohol on his breath than usual, meaning that he was at least making an effort, even if he was less optimistic than I was. "All right, there you go."

I looked over the sponsors and how much money each of them had. Prim had around 6,000 credits, not what I was hoping for, but better than both of my previous tributes combined. "Okay, I can work with this." I muttered. It was enough to supply her with some food, at least in the early stages of the Games.

Peeta, though... he had 50,000 and my eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "He's made a great impression." Haymitch pointed out. "In twenty-six years, I've never had a single Tribute who had that amount of money before the Games even started." That number increased to 52,000. "If he survives the first day, he'll be doing pretty well for himself."

I opened the gift screen, even though I could not yet send anything, being that I wanted to be prepared to send food and water at a moment's notice. The minutes continued to count down... 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30.

"Hello, Katniss." I heard Finnick say behind me. "Look, I just...wanted to wish you good luck."

I know he meant that sincerely, but as long as the Games are on, we're rivals and enemies. His Tributes will be trying to kill my sister and the boy with the bread, so I refuse to reply to him, focusing instead on my Tributes, trying to hide the amount of money they had in their accounts. Thankfully, he eventually realized it and walked away.

"You know, he is trying to help, sweetheart." Haymitch pointed out to me.

"Right now, I don't care." I admitted to him. I shouldn't be so vicious to them, but my sister is facing a strong possibility of death. My stomach cringed when I thought about the horrors that Snow likely had in store for them. He wanted to teach me a lesson, even though I've never once rebelled against the Capitol. I talked about it certainly, but that's all it was.

The clock counted down quickly, my heart pounding faster and faster the closer it got to the Games. My fingers moved towards the gift items as I waited for the center screen to activate. "Ladies and Gentleman, let the 76th Hunger Games begin!" 

Deciding to take advantage of what little time is available, I look around the Arena. The Cornucopia is in the middle of a large meadow. To the north and east are steep hills, which was the direction that I was facing. To the south, there was a forest, but you'd have to travel at least half a mile before you arrived. To the west, there was a small river.

I spotted Prim in front of the hills, and I dearly hoped that she would remember what I had said and simply ran. Peeta was almost directly across from her, the Capitol likely realizing that they were allies and attempting to keep them as far away from each other as possible. The District One boy looked at her, menacingly, pointing his finger in her direction. Prim made a brave show, I'd give her that, but her fear was overwhelming.

Twenty seconds... very little time left now. Nineteen seconds... Prim positions herself to run for the hills, meaning that she was taking my advice. Eighteen... the boy from One looked at her again, although this time she failed to notice.

Sixteen... Peeta was positioning himself not to run, but to go into the Cornucopia. _No! _I wanted to scream at him, but all I could do now was hope.

Thirteen... I'm close to hyperventilating. Ten... I look at them, hoping this won't be the last time I ever speak to Prim.

Suddenly, right when the clock has nearly run out, I see a large explosion at one of the pedestals. The other Tributes looked shocked, not even noticing that the clock has already ticked down. The ones nearest to the explosion are disoriented, barely able to stand.

However, Prim was far enough away and realized that the countdown was over, immediately fleeing for the hills. "Good, she's at least listening to me." I sighed with relief. I knew it was far from over, but somehow, that made this ordeal a lot easier.

Peeta, on the other hand, was running straight into the Cornucopia, behind only two of the other Tributes. They were hurriedly grabbing weapons and supplies, the boy obviously the one in charge as he turned to look at Peeta. Peeta slowed down, watching, waiting to see what he was going to do.

However, it looked as if the two of them were content to ignore him. He began to grab food, water, and a weapon, but he had to act fast. The other Tributes were moving more slowly than usual, because of the explosion, but they were coming, and he's certainly a major target of the Careers as well because of his training score.

I spot one of the Careers headed straight for him, the girl making a beeline for Peeta. He ducked her fist and tripped her over his foot. However, he made no effort to continue the fight, instead deciding to make a run for it into the forest.

"Come on, move it!" I screamed at the screen, not caring that the other Mentors head me. He was near the edge of the Cornucopia, but was simply standing there.

The screen flashed to the bloodbath and at least a few of the Tributes were dead or dying. The girl from District four stuck a trident into one of the other tributes, finishing him off with a slash to the throat.

Finally, he got the message and ran, although it was ultimately too late. The boy from Two caught up to him, tackling him from behind as they wrestled around on the ground. The two of them were evenly matched and Peeta was holding his own, but I knew that the longer this kept up, the more likely the other Careers would join in.

"You're not getting away from me!" he exclaimed. "You think that score means you have a chance?" He aimed a punch at Peeta's throat, although Peeta ducked under it and tackled him to the ground, where he had him pinned in a headlock. He dislocated the Career's arm, making him scream in agony and collapse to the ground. I was watching, waiting for him to take the opportunity.

But he doesn't; he runs and picks up all his fallen provisions from the ground, making his way into the forest. "Why didn't he kill him?" I asked in astonishment. This meant he was just going to have to deal with him later.

"He's not a killer, sweetheart." Haymitch replied to me.

I turned to Prim's screen. She was sprinting as far away as she could, sweat covering her body. She moved until she literally could not take another step and collapsed onto the ground, panting.

I opened the screen to see how much the water would cost. The larger bottle cost around 2,500 credits, about half of all the money she received. Nevertheless, I decided to send it to her. She gulped it down quickly and smiled. "Thank you, Katniss." she waved at the sky and decided to rest.

**Prim's POV:**

Even though I want to, I can't stay here forever. Night would soon fall and the Careers would be out hunting. I took in my surroundings, seeing no food available. There wasn't a single tree in sight to use for cover or pine trees for food.

I pushed myself to my feet, knowing that moving was the most important thing to do, putting as much distance between myself and the Careers and possible. Absently, I wondered what had happened to Peeta. We were supposed to meet up together, but the two of us ended up getting separated.

Most of my water was gone, but it was enough to restore some of my strength as I moved. Now that I was in the Games, I regretted not going along with Katniss on her hunts. I learned as much as I could, but it didn't prepare me for what this was truly like. There were hills in every direction, more than I ever believed existed in all of Panem.

The one to my right held a cave and I debated on whether or not to take shelter inside it. It would be good cover and a good place to hide, but if I was found, there would be no way out. Besides, who knew what was in there, waiting for me?

My stomach began to rumble, my body having gotten used to rich food. I had put on a couple pounds of weight, although I didn't think it was going to last very long. _Should I ask Katniss for food or not? _I wondered. I eventually decided no; we were only a few hours into the Games and it was only going to become more urgent as time went on.

I wasn't completely sure about it, but I climbed into the cave anyway. It was at least better than being out in the open. It was small, but I was nonetheless able to crawl into it, being careful not to hit my head on the rocks. The cave was cold and wet, but as far as I could tell, there was nothing else inside it.

I adjusted myself into a relatively comfortable position and looked outside, making sure to stay in the shadows. From here, I wouldn't be seen unless someone was standing right next to it and even then, it would be difficult. It reminded me of when I used to play hide and seek with Katniss. She was almost never able to find me; I was small enough to hide almost anywhere, in the smallest corners.

As the sun went down, the cannons began to sound. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Ten of us down, fourteen left. I wondered if Peeta had managed to live, or if he was already dead, his body being shipped back to District Twelve right now. I dearly hoped not; I had gotten to like him and believed he and Katniss would be perfect for one another.

There was little to do inside the cave and nothing to keep my stomach from growling. I was used to hunger, everyone from the Seam was, and I had faced far worse in the past. Still, I wish I was able to grab at least something small from the edges of the Cornucopia, but it wasn't worth the risk. That boy was out for me and if he found me, I was a dead girl.

X

Okay, the good news was that both Prim and Peeta were alive. The bad was that they were separated, almost on opposite ends of the Arena. It was becoming dark and soon the Careers would go hunting.

I looked at the map, indicating where the Tributes were located, although it didn't see which ones they were. The cluster of them around the Cornucopia were obviously the Careers, but I only counted five. One of them was dead, making the odds slightly more in Prim's favor.

Once night fell, the fallen Tributes of the day were shown. The first was the boy from One, the Career I believed would be Prim's most dangerous enemy. I could hardly believe that he had died in the bloodbath; he had the highest score of all of them. Both Tributes from Three were dead... both from Five... both from Six, the girl from Eight, the boy from Nine, and the boy from Eleven.

Prim was huddled up in a cave, a good hiding place, but nowhere to run if she was found. "At least she's survived this long." I sighed.

"Look, nothing's happening." Haymitch told me. "Maybe you should try to get some sleep."

"I'm not going anywhere; Prim needs me!" I insisted.

"There's nothing going on right now." Haymitch informed me. "I'll let you know if anything happens, ok?"

"You damn well better; I'm holding you to that." I warned him. Even then, I barely managed to muster the willpower to move. I hadn't eaten all day, but I didn't feel hungry at all.

However, just before I left the room, I was confronted by Cashmere. "You haven't won yet, Katniss." she warned me. "Your sister isn't going to last long and I promise you, she'll die screaming." It was everything I could do to keep from taking a swing at her, which was obviously her intent.

I walked away, fists clenched, as she continued to taunt me. My blood was boiling and I wanted nothing more than to jump her and rip her eyes out for what she said. The only thing that stopped me was that Snow would use it as an excuse for making the lives of my Tributes even more difficult than they already were.

I turned the television on in the main room, but it was nothing but replays of the bloodbath. As the clock counted down, I noticed the girl from Seven grabbing her token and throwing it onto One's pedestal. That was a stroke of brilliance and it made me wonder if perhaps the Careers were not the biggest obstacles to Prim coming home after all. It was certainly all the commenter's were talking about, how they might forbid any token in future games.

It flashed back to what was going on currently, showing the remaining Careers on the hunt for Tributes. They were in the forest, where Peeta was currently hiding out. I knew I should just turn it off, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

They were currently arguing among themselves about which direction to take, not bothering to keep their voices down. If there were any Tributes nearby, they knew to scatter. The screen flashed to Peeta nearby, who was hiding in the dirt and leaves, doing an excellent job of camouflage. Even with my skill, I could just barely make out his face and when he closed his eyes, I couldn't see him at all.

The Careers walked right past him, not noticing he was there. The group disappeared, walking deeper into the woods, hoping for victims. "Well, it's turning out to be a disappointing night for them." Claudius announced. "What do you think of that trick?"

"Well, I'd certainly say he's earned his scores and that sponsors are paying close attention to him." the second announcer continued; I didn't bother to see what his name was.

I turned the television off after that, happy that the two of them had at least survived the first night. "It's not over yet." I told myself, taking a small sip from Haymitch's liquor cabinet. I didn't do this very often, but I had to relax my nerves, or I was never going to get any sleep. How would I be able to help either of them then?

Once my nerves were calmed, my hunger came back in full force and I had to make myself something. Yes, I could have simply ordered something from the tube near the kitchen, but I had gotten accustomed to making my own food. The first taste reminded me of just how hungry I was and I gulped down the lamb stew so quickly that some of it spilled on the floor.

However, after an hour of futilely trying to sleep, I ran back to the Mentor's room, eager to see how things were progressing. As far as I knew, Prim was alive, but a lot could change in a short period of times. This was the Hunger Games, after all.

"Thought I told you to get some rest, sweetheart." Haymitch remarked.

"I can't sleep, so I came back." I explained. "What's new?"

"Nothing, actually." Haymitch informed me, gulping down his drink. "Prim's in the cave, Peeta's hiding in mud, and the Careers haven't found anyone."

I turned the screen to Prim, who was trying to bring herself to sleep, but was having a difficult time doing so. I moved to the gift screen to send her some bread before the price increased at midnight. Everything increased by thirty percent a day in the Games.

"You sure you should do that?" Haymitch pointed out. "you're not going to be able to give her anything else."

"She's not likely to get much more sponsor money at this point." I pointed out, sending her a loaf of bread and spending most of what I had left.

At the sight of food, Prim's eyes lit up with joy. "Thanks, Katniss; I love you." Prim smiled and began wolfing down the food.

"All right, if you won't go to sleep, I will." Haymitch announced. "Wake me up in a few hours, will you?"

Fourteen left; just thirteen more before Prim can return to me.

Now things are getting interesting, aren't they? I should have the next chapter up in a few days. Review and let me know what you think of the chapter.


	7. Mortal Peril

Ha ha, this didn't take me very long at all; managed to get this entire chapter done in a single night. You know, instead of actually getting some needed sleep. Kind of surprising, considering the original fiction project I'm working on as well.

Well, you know the Disclaimer: the Hunger Games do not belong to me. Enjoy the new entry!

**Katniss' POV:**

The instant my eyes opened, I threw the covers off myself and sprinted towards the Mentor's Room, not even bothering with breakfast. I hadn't meant to sleep in that late! It's nearly noon; was Prim alive? What happened?!

The room was considerably emptier than it was yesterday, being that the Mentors who no longer had Tributes were no longer allowed inside. I was so anxious, I ran into Johanna Mason. She and I had never gotten along well, and this wasn't likely to help.

"Hello, Katniss!" She smiled at me, much to my surprise. At a minimum, I expected her to scream at me. "How are you this wonderful day?"

"I'm... fine, I guess." I responded. "What's with you?"

"Oh, it's going just fine." she smiled. "Better than I ever would have thought; I've got a chance not to look into the eyes of an angry parent who lost their child. Of course, since they're siblings, only one can come home, but this is the first good news I've had in a long time."

"Hey, my sister is in there!" I screamed at her.

"Oh, yes, I'd almost forgotten about that." Johanna winced and for a second, she looked genuinely sympathetic to me, something I never imagined was possible. "Along with the boy you love."

"Exc... excuse me?" I managed to gasp out.

"Oh, you've got a lot of people saying that you're Peeta's secret lover." Johanna smirked. "That the girl he was referring to in the interviews was you."

"What?!" I exclaimed. "No, no, Peeta wasn't talking about me." I shook my head frantically. That was absurd! He couldn't possibly like me; I was sending him to die so Prim could live! Johanna's completely out of her mind.

"Who else could it be?" Johanna smirked at me. "All those stupid Capitol hags are convinced that it's one of them, but I know it; see? you're even blushing."

Rather than reply, I continue to my station, which only made me laugh harder. Haymitch was not currently there, much to my annoyance. I immediately turn on the screens to see what was going on. Peeta was headed for the river, wandering aimlessly, but trying to walk as silently as he could. Unfortunately, he was crushing every branch and leaf he encountered, but he was nowhere near anyone else.

"Prim!" He called out. "Are you out there?" I frantically changed the screen to see if the Careers were anywhere nearby. I spotted five dots near the Cornucopia; even though it didn't tell you who they were, I eventually realized how to tell them apart.

However, there were two Tributes relatively close to him. Not real close, but enough to make me worried. Once I turned the screen back, I continued listening to Peeta call Prim's name. As much as I appreciated his effort, I wanted him to just shut up. Prim wasn't anywhere near him. She was... a quick look confirmed that she was still inside the cave, forgotten by the others.

"Anything interesting happen when I was gone, sweetheart?" Haymitch asked with a laugh, taking the seat next to mine.

"Where were you?" I demanded. "You're supposed to be here, looking after Prim!"

"Nobody's anywhere near her and my flask was empty." Haymitch dismissed. "It's the second day; not a lot happens after the initial fighting. Trust me, I've been doing this a lot longer than you. By the way, have you heard the rumors?"

"You mean that Peeta's in love with me?" I scoffed.

"Yes, that." Haymitch smirked. "It's proving to be quite useful; take a look at the Sponsor screen." I turn to the left screen and look at Peeta's account money; it had increased to 80,000 credits, enough to even buy some medicines if necessary.

_What about Prim's? _I wondered. Hers was much less dramatic, but was still now at 6,000 credit, replenishing what I had spent yesterday. "It's not true!" I protested, while Haymitch laughed.

"This is a television show; imagine what they're going to say!" Haymitch exclaimed. "It makes for an excellent show, which is what the audience wants. Who will the Girl on Fire save: her younger sister or the boy she loves?"

"Okay, okay, fine, it might work." I sighed, deciding against my better judgment to defer to Haymitch. He was right about one thing: he had been doing this for a long time and it was only because I was here that he was making any great effort to save them. "I'll play along with it."

**Prim's POV:**

How long had I been inside here? It was the second day, that I knew, but how far into it was I? It was easy to lose track of time; I hadn't said a word and there was nobody to speak to, meaning that time passed very slowly.

I ran my tongue along my chapped lips, feeling dehydrated. The water I was sent helped a little bit, but it wasn't nearly enough. My head poked itself out of the cave, looking in all directions to see and hear if anyone was around me.

_Okay, I'm safe. _I stated, slinking back in. Unfortunately, I was going to have to leave at some point in order to find water. I was already feeling weak and dizzy and knew that it would only get worse. If I left the cave, though, the Career Tributes might find me.

I don't know how long it took for me to finally push myself out of the cave, but I eventually did. My entire body ached as I stretched; the cave was not a comfortable place to be. "Now... where can I find water?" I muttered to myself. I starting walking in a random direction and hoped I found some. Not a good strategy, I know, but if I don't find anything, I'll die of thirst.

Before I knew it, I was on the closest hill from the Cornucopia and hurriedly ducked down, hoping that they didn't see me. My eyes squinted as I tried to see, my courage only barely hanging on. In the distance, I only spotted one of them at the camp, but it was too far away for me to tell which one of the Careers it was.

_At least it's not the District One boy. _I thought. Whoever killed him in the beginning did me an enormous favor. "What's wrong with me?" I muttered. I shouldn't be happy that someone died, even if I didn't do it myself. Yes, he wanted to kill me, but... I don't know how to feel about it, I really don't.

Against my better judgment, I continued my search. I remembered that there was a river somewhere, although in my fogged brain, I couldn't remember which direction it was in. _It's not too late to go back. _I told myself; I was slowly learning the area and was able to find the cave from where I was standing. The further I went, though, the bigger the chance of me getting lost.

I began to enter the forest, which was at least relatively familiar territory. I moved quietly, my lightweight body providing me with an advantage. I reached down to make sure I had not forgotten the water bottle, else this trip would be pointless. Once I had ensured it was there, I was confident that I would eventually find what I was looking for.

However, as I got weaker and weaker, my optimism began to fade. The sun was beating down on me, sweat covering my entire body. Even in the shade, it was almost unbearable. I briefly considered going back or at least asking Katniss for more water. She had to have something for me.

Just as I was about to open my mouth, another bottle of water was sent to me with a parachute attached to it. "Thanks; definitely needed this." I sighed and gulped half of it down in a single gulp. Only by using all by willpower did I not gulp down the rest of it; I nearly threw it all up the first time, so I waited a few more minutes before drinking the rest of it.

Although I was still quite thirsty, it had taken the edge off of my thirst. My mind became a lot clearer as I moved, climbing a tree as high as I dared to see if I could spot any water nearby. At around thirty feet, I stopped and searched, being careful to keep a firm grip onto the branches; a fall from this height would kill or at least cripple me.

I moved down, disappointed that I didn't find anything, when I realized that this was a pine tree and that the inner bark was edible. My stomach groaned as the first bite of bark touched my lips. I hadn't realized just how hungry I was until now; the loaf of bread that was sent last night wasn't nearly enough to keep me going. The outer bark was easily ripped off, allowing me to sustain myself.

_Should keep me full for at least a few hours... _I can't believe I had forgotten about that! At least it won't happen a second time; my hunger will be a strong motivator.

It was nearly sunset by the time I finally found a stream. Unfortunately, there was someone else near there placing her face into the water. I hid in a nearby bush, thorns poking into my flesh. I felt blood oozing down my elbow but I knew I could not get her attention.

However, someone else found her first. The Careers had arrived and by the time she spotted them, it was too late. One of the girls grabbed her from behind, holding her down, while the other stuck a knife into her throat. "Yes, another one down!" the girl from Two laughed. "That makes three for me!" The cannon sounded as soon as she finished her sentence.

"Hey, it was my turn, Antonia!" One of the boys screamed at her.

"You should have moved faster, then." Antonia stuck her tongue out.

"Damn it, I haven't gotten anyone!" He screamed. "I told you it was my turn and you ignored me!"

"Shut up, both of you!" the girl from One screamed and at least to me, it appeared she was the leader of the Careers. She was one of the largest girls I had ever seen, six feet tall and towering over the other two girls. Only the District Four boy was taller than her. She was also quite stunning, although her vicious smile took away a lot of her appeal. "Augustus, you'll get your turn soon enough. We'll be hunting the rest of the night; they can't hide from us forever."

"I just hope we get our hands on that damn team." Augustus groaned. "I can't believe they managed to take one of us out with a token. It was... Seven, right, Velvet?"

"Wow, you've got a brain after all." Velvet replied sarcastically. "Can't hide from us forever."

"What about that District Twelve boy, whatever his name is?" the girl from Four pointed out. "Don't you think we ought to find him first? You know, the one who overpowered Augustus?"

"He did not beat me; he cheated!" Augustus protested. "What would you have done, Sylvia, sleep with him? Oh wait, your entire District's already owns you!"

"You're dead!" Sylvia drew her sword, Augustus taking out his mace. "I'm going to cut both your heads off!"

"Shut up, both of you!" Velvet bellowed at them, elbowing Augustus in the gut and punching Silvia in the jaw, making her hiss in pain. "Save it for later; we've got some fresh meat!"

It stopped the fight that could have torn the Career pack apart, but the argument continued as to who their primary target should be, Peeta or the duo from Seven.

Once I was sure that they were far enough away, I crawled out of the bush and pulled several thorns out of my body. I was bleeding in four places, but none of them badly. I gulped down the rest of the water in the bottle and then began to refill it at the stream. I paced myself again, but at least now I knew where to go for more water.

"Wow, that's great!" I smiled for the first time since being Reaped. In the stream, I spotted a jagged rock that could be used for cutting and killing game. And other Tributes, but I didn't want to think about that right now. It was light enough for me to pack around and sharp enough to kill.

Before I left the forest, I helped myself to more tree bark. This time, the outer bark was far harder to strip off and only with the help of the rock did I manage to get enough to eat. My stomach was much fuller, and I was still alive. When this started, I believed that I would be one of the first. I can't fight like Katniss, I don't even have a weapon! _Maybe I can stay out of sight, outlast the others. _I thought. At least it was worth a try.

The cave was no more comfortable than before and felt very cramped after hours of being out in the open to stretch my muscles. Still, I forced myself to endure it and sat down; it was almost completely dark by the time I arrived, with only a tiny sliver of light remaining.

Once darkness came, the capitol seal showed up in the sky, showing the picture of the girl I had seen earlier today. She was from District Eleven, meaning that they were now out of the Games. She didn't stand out at all to me, being just one Tribute among many. Still, it was a death I had witnessed with my own eyes and a single tear crawled down my cheek.

**Katniss' POV: **

Overall, the day had been quite worrisome. When the Careers were near Prim, my heart stopped, while I feared that she would give herself away. However, at least some of the lessons from training must have stuck because it was not necessary to send her more food, which was what I had intended to do initially.

Behind me, Haymitch was dragging a passed-out Chaff out of the room. Once the girl from Eleven died, he had headed straight for the bar and began to drink everything he could, vomiting on the floor twice but not stopping until he fell out of his seat.

"I'm too old for this..." Haymitch complained, pulling on his legs while Seeder watched. She grabbed his arms, but was too old to take up much of the burden of his weight. I was tempted to help as well, but stayed at my post.

Much to my frustration, Peeta had yet to find Prim. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Capitol was doing everything it can to keep that from happening. If they allied with one another, the chances of one of them making it home became much stronger. I moved to Peeta's screen, showing him curled up in a sleeping bag that I had sent to him, right next to a giant hill. Prim was shivering in a cave, but there was nothing I could do for her.

_Come on, find each other! _I mentally screamed. They weren't far from each other now and Peeta promised me he'd being her home!

I stayed up the entire night, crossing my fingers and hoping they would encounter each other. As the first signs of sunlight appeared, however, I realized that it was probably going to happen. If only there was some way to send a message to Prim.

"That's it!" I screamed, making the Mentors that had not gone to bed jerk their heads up. All I needed to do was wait for her to wake up. She pushed herself to a sitting position, still half asleep, and I knew I needed to move quickly.

I looked at the screen and found precisely what I was looking for. It was the bread that Peeta specialized in. 2500 credits and worth every last one of them. Just as her eyes were about to close, she caught the scent of bread.

Much to my disappointment, however, she didn't get the message, merely interpreting it as me sending her food instead of telling her that Peeta was nearby. The bread was finished off in less than a minute and the opportunity had nearly passed. Peeta had woken up as well, walking through the hills. He was still well-fed and on guard, a makeshift spear at the ready.

"Think you'd better let me take it now." Haymitch informed me. "There's a sponsor meeting tonight and you're going to it. You'll be able to charm them a lot more than I can."

"Haymitch, you're going; they need me here." I declared. "Come on, find her already! She's right in front of you! How can you not see her, you idiot?" Yes, I know I'm not being fair to Peeta, but it's just tearing me apart how they're within 100 yards of each other and still unaware. Prim's cave was almost impossible to see into unless you were right on top of it and the hills were tall and varied and difficult to see overhead.

"What are you talking about?" Haymitch groaned, but realized what I meant before I tried to explain. "Oh, that's what it is. Look, Katniss, in the Games, it's very easy to get separated and hard to find others. Look on the bright side: they're both still alive and as long as they're alive, they can find each other. Try not to worry too much about it, all right?"

"They're in the Hunger Games; how am I supposed to stop?" I demanded. "Fine, I'll go, but if anything happens to them, you're going to pay."

Yes, yes, very terrifying; now get ready for the party." Haymitch waved a hand in dismissal and turned around, ignoring my attempts.

As much as I hated him at the moment, I left, knowing that a lot depended on this meeting. Sponsor money was flowing in for Peeta, but Prim... I barely had enough to feed her and this was the third day. In a couple more, I wouldn't be able to do anything at all.

By mid-day, I was ready for the party and I ordered Haymitch to keep me informed of anything that happened. So far, nothing had, but I feared the worst. Throughout the trip to Snow's mansion, I was silent, hoping that I wouldn't have to meet with him a second time. I told him most of what I know about the rebellion, but my fear is that he will believe that I'm lying and punish Prim for it.

"Hello, Katniss, good to see you." Finnick greeted with his trademark smirk. He was dressed in a white tuxedo with a black bow, a small trident pinned on his left pocket. "Glad you finally managed to show up."

"Let's get this over with..." I muttered under my breath.

"Uh... a word of advice before you go in." Finnick grabbed my hand. "Most of these people think you and Peeta are involved, so play along with it as best you can. Play the lovesick, frightened Mentor who has two people she loves in the Hunger Games."

"Haymitch already told me this," I reminded him.

"But it won't help if you look like you're going to go on a killing spree." Finnick warned. "So look sad, frightened, yet hopeful; perfect combination."

Immediately after I walked in, I was swarmed by several Capitol citizens, all of them talking at once. I could barely make out what any of them were saying, only catching a few words of the conversation. "Quiet, quiet, let her speak." One of them raised his hands for silence. "Now, Miss Everdeen, I'd just like to say that I'm an enormous fan of yours. I intend to make a substantial deposit into the accounts of both of your Tributes."

"Yes, she's certainly a more competent mentor than the other one." one of the women smiled. She looked young, but could easily be old enough to be my grandmother; it creeped me out every time I saw them. "It's the end of the third day and both her Tributes are still breathing."

"Yes, isn't Peeta just the most handsome boy you ever laid eyes on." one of the other woman gushed. I could barely tell the difference between the two, except for their different hair colors. "Oh, I'd love to spend some time with him... if you know what I mean. I'd be happy to take him off your hands for a while."

It made me physically sick, especially knowing that she could buy him if he made it back. "That's enough; poor girl has enough to deal with right now." another man interjected.

"Yes, you're right! I can't imagine having to choose between a sister and a lover! So tell me, dear... have you gone all the way with him?

_This is going to be a long night. _I groaned. In my best ditsy voice, which was disguising an enormous amount of rage, I replied: "Oh, we haven't done anything like that yet. We were still talking about it when... please, don't ask me to continue."

"Well, we can't leave a young woman in such distress, can we?" someone else interjected. This man actually looked older, indicating that he did not indulge in plastic surgery to the same extent that most of the Capitol did. "I think all of us can contribute to her in some way."

"They should change the rules!" one of them exclaimed. "It's not right to make such an ugly choice!"

I was astounded at this. They didn't think it was wrong to send countless other kids to their deaths before?! Even though I've long since gotten used to their callousness, they still found ways to surprise me. "All we can do is give as much money as possible." He gently pushed the others out of the way and introduced himself. "Plutarch Heavensbee, associate Gamemaker."

"Nice to meet you," I grimaced. _I will not choke the life out of him, I will not break his neck, I will not tear his stomach open. _

"Likewise; I've been looking forward to this." He smiled, turning slightly to let me see his mockingjay pin. "Now... do you ladies and gentlemen think there's anything I should do to help this young woman?" Everyone around me nodded and applauded. "Well, far be it from me to go against the flow."

"I'd appreciate anything you have to offer." I responded, leaning down to let them get a good look at me. As uncomfortable as this made me, letting them look down my dress, I knew that it was an effective tactic.

I received money from each and every one of them, making sure to say until they sent it to the accounts, asking them to send everything towards Prim. I posed, giving a pleading face, my eyes watering.

Out of all of the remaining Mentors, I was receiving some of the most attention. They gave me more assistance than I ever imagined they would. I shudder to think what would have happened if Haymitch had gone instead of me. Taking into account how low their opinion was of him, I would have to say that Prim would have received very little.

However, I was eventually finding myself being upstaged. Johanna had arrived wearing nothing but a thin see-through dress, immediately drawing about half the crowd towards her. The Career Mentors had their usual support, but it didn't seem quite as extensive as I remember it. _Perhaps I'll be able to get Prim home after all..._

I headed back to the Mentor's room to bring the exciting news to Haymitch, but apart from a pair of Avoxes, I was entirely alone. Not one other Mentor was in the room. _It's three in the morning; of course they're not here! _My eyes were on the edge of closing, but still, I had to check one last time to make sure that they were safe.

I turned the screen to Prim, who was tossing and turning in her cave. Looking at the prices and the new money that I had managed to obtain, I realized that I could now send her a sleeping bag. If she woke up, I'd send it and she'd never have to worry about being cold again. I could keep her fed, in addition to what she lives off in the wild, I could send her water, or even weapons if I were so inclined.

But my thoughts were interrupted by the Career pack, walking just twenty feet from her. There was obvious frustration about their inability to find victims, unaware that my sister was right next to them.

"Damn it, not a single sign of them all night!" Antonia cursed.

"Let's not get discouraged; they'll be driven towards us eventually." District Four- I believed his name was Chinook-pointed out to them. "They've got to be bored of this."

"Yeah, well, it can't come soon enough." Sylvia sighed. She paced around, nearly tripping over Prim's feet. My mouth opened in pure horror, hoping against hope that they'd dismiss it as a rock or... anything, I didn't care! Just don't find her, please! I wanted to send her a weapon, anything to defend herself with, but the Careers were so close that all it would do was send a signal that Prim was nearby.

"What the hell was that?" Velvet demanded.

"Hey, look, we found someone!" Chinook cheered. "Let's see how much she'll beg us for mercy." He leaned down, grabbed her feet, and pulled her out of the cave. Prim awoke and tried to hold onto the ground, getting gravel stuck under her fingernails, but they were much bigger and stronger than she was; she didn't hold on five seconds.

"We've got you now, little girl." Antonia grinned as Prim looked up at the group, petrified with fear.

Sorry, I simply couldn't resist doing this. I happen to hate cliffhangers... unless I'm the one writing them, ha ha! Chapter 8 will be up sometime during the week.


End file.
